Nobody loves you more
by Flaming-Boy
Summary: I wrote this one chapter at a time and published them on DeviantART. I felt like trying a new place.


Chapter 1

The boy's brown, spiky hair bobbed madly as he sprinted the last 100 metres to the schools front door. Master Luxord had a disapproving look on his poker-face. "25 minutes late, you better have a good excuse young man!"

"Sorry, ummm, I… got lost." The brunette answered without a sliver of hope.

"Detention, my office, 5:40." The gambler gestured for the teen to run on to his lesson. He found his way to the History and Theology block, entering Dr Ansems' classroom.

"Really sorry sir, I forgot my textbook and had to run home to get it."

"That's alright lad, you didn't need it, we were just about to start watching a video on the Battle of Trafalgar before we go on to stuffy Latin America." The boy sat down next to a silver haired teen, who gave him an all knowing look.

"Been up late again have we? You need to get over that PS2!"

"Oh aren't you the role-model Riku, 3 hours solid playing Sonic the Hedgehog!" the boys laughed, and then settled down to ignore the video and Ansems' raving notes. Soon, a commotion sprang up at the back of the class. A fiery haired teen was harassing a musical boy with a mullet, who brandished a pencil in defence.

"Get off me you whore," cried Demyx as Axel snuck a hand onto the blond's thigh.

"Axel! Stop that immediately, you're missing out on the video and the girls are not impressed!" Ansem didn't notice Naminé and Kairi quickly slip their cameras back into their pockets. The lesson finally ended and out in the main corridor, the chocolate-haired boy stopped at his locker to grab his physics folder. He found a note taped to his door. 'Meet me behind the Sports Complex, 6:00 R.' the brunette wasn't surprised, Riku often wanted to meet up after school, usually to organise whose house they would stay at that night.

Xigbars' Physics hours were always fun, learning about ballistics and propulsion, always pairing up with his Nobody Roxas for the experiments.  
"Right guys, today we're gonna see—how many magnets I need to throw at blondies skull to stop him chatting!" Roxas cowered behind his folder. "Okay, what I meant was the forces involved on repelling—Demyx from Axel, please guys, Ansem told me bout' you two!" the lesson flew by, Roxas was on good form, quite chirpy, at least till the Keyblade-weilder sat next to him, when he suddenly became engrossed in the work, giving brief, curt answers to all of the others jolly questions. He quickly disappeared from sight at the end of the lesson.

At last lessons came to an end at 4:00. 1 hour of compulsory activity saw the brunette in the pool. He was changed in seconds, swimming was his favourite sport. Wearing his Speedo swimming shorts and ready at the deep-end of the pool, he pushed off perfectly, sliding into the cool, refreshing water without a splash. As he surfaced, he noticed Roxas in the viewing gallery above. Roxas had twisted his ankle a week ago, so he was unable to play football, and instead he came and watched his best friend swimming. When it came to the butterfly stroke, the young teen's slender body reflected the gentle, shimmering sunlight, the subtle tan of his skin and the gleam of his eyes were only increased by his submersion. As he surfaced later for the backstroke race, he glimpsed Roxas, his eyes wide and full of desire, his mouth hanging slightly open as he seemed to look repeatedly up and down the brunettes' body.

Detention was mundane and simple, a few books needed moving, a few decks of cards needed re-shuffling for the teachers black-jack game that night. It was nothing more than 30 minutes of worrying how late he'd be to meet up with Riku. He dashed out of the office and darted over to the Sports Complex. He went into the back yard, which seemed deserted. He looked round all the corners, checking a few unlocked doors,  
"Riku! Are you still here?" he stopped in front of a packed up rugby post, "Riku!" called the still wet, semi-half dressed, scruffy brunette.

"Would you rather it was Riku, Sora?" came the timid response from behind the post

Chapter 2

Sora almost jumped out of his skin, turning round quickly to see who had spoken. Roxas stepped out from where he had been sitting with a razor blade, painfully waiting for Sora.

"If you want, I'll go, since clearly you care about Riku more than you do about me…" the emo blond turned to leave

"Roxas, wait, I… I didn't… uh, I just thought well, Riku often asks to meet up after school, so-"

"So what? I can tell you, he isn't serious!"

"What? What are you talking about? Look, I'm sorry, you're my best friend Roxas, of course I care about you.  
'If only you understood, I like you so much more Sora!' thought Roxas.

"Okay… you were… really awesome in the pool today! You swim great, and you look really good in the water, I couldn't take my eyes off you!" the blond blushed deeply, clamping a hand over his mouth, "oh my god… I…uh, shit! That came out bad!"

"Thank you," The brunette replied, placing a gentle, perfect hand on the others shoulder. He didn't notice Roxas moan lightly under his touch, "It means a lot to me, to know someone thinks I'm good at something." The Nobody smiled genuinely, perking up at the sound of Sora happy. "Was there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, yeah, would you like to come and sleep over at my house tonight, maybe even for the whole weekend?"

"Sure, I'd love to; I'll text my mum to let her know."

"Great! Shall we?" the golden haired teen took a step towards home.

"Yeah, let's run, I haven't seen your house in ages!" Sora grabbed Roxas' hand and pulled him off at high speed. Roxas blushed even more as he tightly gripped his angels' hand. 'Could you ever love me as I adore you, Sora?'

The two boys spent the first night watching movies and playing on Roxas' PS3. the following morning, Sora woke Roxas up at ten.

"Hey Roxy, can I use your shower?"

"Sure thing, go ahead." The blond replied tiredly as he rubbed his eyes and ruffled his hair. The brunette smiled in thanks and, stepping back onto his sleeping-bag, took off his t-shirt and shorts. Roxas rubbed his eyes again. 'Am I dreaming, oh my, he's taking his pants off! We've swum naked before when we were younger, I should have seen this coming, Sora always was comfortable naked around me, shit, need to hide my boner!' Roxas grabbed his duvet to conceal his hard erection. Sora slid his tight briefs off; his natural tan covered his entire body. Roxas noted that, like himself, Sora was bereft entirely of body hair save for a small amount around his genitals. Roxas found himself staring openly at Sora's naked body. The brunette stretched, raising his slightly muscled arms over his head. Roxas restrained a loud moan of desire. Sora didn't notice his best-friend eye-humping him, so he walked casually into the bathroom, closing the door only enough to conceal the shower. After ten minutes, he emerged, still wet, his hair spiked up and his crown pendant hanging upon his bare, smooth chest. He was rubbing his face with the towel. Roxas was stood in nothing but boxers, having been expecting Sora to come out with the towel around his waist; he quickly grabbed a towel to conceal his stiffening member.

"All yours Roxy!" Sora said with a friendly smile  
'If only you were,' thought the super-horny blond.

Needless to say, in his 10 minute shower, Roxas calmed himself down by pinning up all his pictures of Sora changing or swimming and began to pleasure himself under the streams of hot water.

Chapter 3

Sunday dawned, bright and beautiful. Summer light shone off the tiled roofs of Destiny Island, into the eyes of the emo-blonde. Roxas yawned and sighed, loathing but also desiring the moment when Sora would awake, look him in the eyes, and the Nobody would see only friendship there. His desire was born of despair; and chance to see Sora was to be taken, but still the brave saviour of the worlds wouldn't love him. They changed virtually in silence, deciding that due to the brilliant weather, they'd take the opportunity to use Roxas' new, out-door, custom built pool!

They got into the changing room at about 10:30, Sora asked to borrow a pair of Roxas' swimming trunks. Roxas unconsciously gave his sex-god the tightest, most revealing pair he had, whilst wearing an unusually (for him) short pair of trunks himself. They changed together; chatting about the week ahead, a few science tests and a geo exam were looming on the horizon. The blonde wrapped a towel around his waist, sliding his boxers down his smooth, sprinters legs', careful to conceal his hardening member. Sora had his towel around his shoulders, his lower half exposed as he pulled on the borrowed swimming kit. He moved towards the door, but the Nobody reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Wait, Sora. I… I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, what's up?"

"I… Do you like me?"

"Well… yeah, you're my best friend!" replied the brunette, giving Roxas his signature, jovial smile that charmed the peoples of all the worlds. The other teen blushed at the gesture.

"… I like you too Sora, a lot, more than Riku, more than Kairi too!" the cinnamon boy looked puzzled.

"Roxas, why are you blushing? Are you okay, was it something I did? I'm sorry." Sora put an arm around his closest-friend. Roxas burst into tears in his angels' arms.

"Sora, I love you! I've hidden my feelings, lied even to myself, but I can't deny it! You're everything to me… you're my Heart." Roxas managed to look Sora in the eyes, dreading the look of horror and/or disgust he would see, terrified of the loathing his crush must be feeling. He was stunned by the sight. Sora's eyes had glazed over, tears had begun to trickle over his firm, lightly blushing cheeks. The Keyblade Wielder lost control of his emotions, gripping the other boy to his bare chest and crying into his shoulder. The gesture spoke for the two love-struck teens. 'I love you too.'

The two boys stepped outside. Roxas stood at the edge of the pool. The cocoa-haired boy approached his lover.

"Will you go out with me?" asked the now entranced Sora.

"Catch." Roxas fell backwards into the shining peaceful water.

Roaring, screaming, rushing air flashed past the teen. Roxas watched Sora lunge forwards to grasp him. With a clean splash, the love-dazed boy hit the water, his slim, pale and enticing body drifting into the warm pool. After a second, but what seemed like the eternity without Sora, Roxas opened his eyes. He saw Sora dive in perfectly after him, he heard his lover call his name, and he felt the soft touch of Sora's hands around his waist. Roxas sunk deeper into the now darkening water, the sun framing the angel-boys face from where the creature-of-Darkness looked. They pressed against each other, eyes locked, lips brushing, and then bonding as Sora leant down to lift up the blonde.

Their tongues flicked and played together, the hands exploring each others bodies. Sora's right hand massaged Roxas' chest, finding his nipples and lightly pinching, then rubbing the sensitive bumps. The other slid down his back, getting underneath his trunks and slowly caressing his firm ass. 'How I've dreamed about that cute ass!' thought the madly aroused brunette. Roxas' hand slid off Sora's only item of clothing, gripping the teen's ass, he ground their hip together, his hands stroking all over Sora's perfectly shaped legs, one coming to rest on the tanned-boys member. Sora moaned lightly, the vibrations passing into Roxas through their deep kiss.

Sora melts in the kiss and brings his hand up to the back of Roxas' neck. Roxas lets go of his hardened shaft and puts it on Sora's waist. Sora's other hand goes behind Roxas' neck and his fingers lace through his soft hair. Sora's free hand removes Roxas' own attire, their naked bodies pressed together softly, maddening each teen beyond control. The warm water only added to the sensual extremes the boys began to experiment with. The brunette began massaging Roxas' erection, whilst coaxing more and more of his tongue to enter his warm, welcoming mouth. The two boys finally surface, gasping for air after the prolonged first kiss.

The two teens lie down on a towel; Roxas rested his head on Sora wet chest, wrapping his slender arms around his waist. Sora cuddled him close, kissing the top of his head.

"I love you Sora. Don't ever leave me!"

"Shhh, I'm here Roxy, I love you too."

And as the boy and is Nobody fell asleep in each others arms, Roxas listening to Sora's gentle heartbeat, they both jumped as a second beat began in time with the first. Sora placed his head against the others chest, making certain that it was really there.

"I! I have a…I feel wonderful! Thank you Sora."

"It was always going to happen, I'm just so glad we can be together, truly this time!" Then Roxas rolled Sora into the pool, jumping in after him as the two lovers forget everything but each-other.

Chapter 4

After a late supper, the two boys went up to Roxas' room and switched no the PS3. They put in Call of Duty 4 and Sora went online.

"Hey, when am i going to get a go!?" the blonde demanded after Sora won his 2oth rbattle in a row.

"Winner stays on." the cheeky brunette replied. Roxas sighed, how could he argue with the angel boy sat in front of him. After 10 minutes of watching Sora get headshot after headshot, Roxas shifted along his bed, and, moving behind Sora, wrapped his legs around the other teens waist. Sora couldn't help blushing a deep crimson. Roxas slowly slid his arms around Sora's shoulders, leaning his head on that of his lover. While Sora was enrgosed in a serious fire-fight, Roxas slipped his hands under Sora's t-shirt, stroking his smooth chest and lightly teezing his nipples. Sora yelped as Roxas' cool hand explored his body.

"Roxas, I'm trying to play here!" The blonde paid no heed to Sora's purely aeshetic protests. The brunette started to moan as Roxas began sucking and kissing his neck around his jugular. The vampire-esque scene developed as Roxas lifted off Sora's shirt, moving to love-bite his collar-bone.

Cod4 forgotten, Sora dropped the controller, one hand going to Roxas head, the other grasped the hand that was massaging his inner-calf. He was breathing heavily, his moans increasing in frequency and volume.

"Nya, Roxas," Hearing his name only fired Roxas up even more, he moved his hand to press on Sora's crotch,"please, ah! Stop!" the intoxicated blonde detached himself from his partner, pulling him back onto the bed. He wrapped his arms tightly around his dream-boy, whispering,

"you're turn Sora, I'be been waiting a long time for this." Sora grinned as he took off Roxas' shirt, lying on top of him, their bare chests pressed together. He could feel his erection pushing against that of the boy under him. Their lips brushed, Sora's tongue swept over the ruby red lips beneath him, Roxas lunged upwards to lock with the brunette, his hands grasping his hair and ass. Sora moaned into the kiss, his fingers working at the zip and buttons of Roxas' shorts. Roxas' hand went under Sora's p-j bottoms, causing even more heavy breathing from the heated teen.

"Ah! Roxy, please, nyaa!"

"Come on Sora, you're on top, remember?" The brunette smiled, kissing Roxas again before kissing, biting and sucking his way down his pale chest. He pulled the boys shorts clean off, licking along the rim of his briefs, he laid his head to rest on his crotch. His hands moved slowly up the blonde's legs, slipping within his briefs, then moving back down again, taking Roxas' last vestment with them. Sora began to suck lightly on Roxas' sack, his tongue darting across the soft, sensitive skin. He started to kiss up Roxas' lengthy member. The flaming blonde began groaning loudly, his head fell back as he cried out in ecstasy when Sora placed the head in his warm, wet mouth, his tonugue tracing spirals on the highly sensitive tip.

"Nya! Aah! More, take more of me!" Sora grinned seductively into the blow-job, his hands massaging Roxas' balls and hips. He took another inch more of the Nobodies throbbing member in his mouth. "Ah! Sora! Sora More!" Another inch of the blonde's erection slid past Sora's moist lips. Roxas took a bunch of the cinnamon hair in his fist, his hips bucked and thrust his member deeper into Sora;s welcoming throat. The deep-throat lasted seconds before the warmth and tongue massage, the nipple-teazing and genital caressing filled the gold-haired boys head with so much ecstatic pleasure, he climaxed in Sora's mouth. His loud screams of pleasure went on for half-a-dozen seconds as Sora drank every last drop of his warm, sweet fluid.

Roxas' feet then pulled down Sora's trousers, revealing his precum-dripping member. Sora straddled Roxas as the love-crazed blonde took both their erections in his pale-hand. He massaged them both till their precums mixed between his fingers, He lifted his dripping-hand, tracing Sora's cum drenched lips with his fore-finger. He then slid this digit into Sora's mouth as his other hand replaced the 1st at theid members. "I want you inside me Sora." Sora blushed, his member growing even harder at the idea of fucking Roxas. He stroked Roxas hand till he had picked up enough of their joint-precum, softly applying the fluid to Roxas' entrance. He positioned his member and hips between Roxas thighs, raising the blonde's legs onto his shoulders.

"Ready?" The blonde nodded, a look of determination but also slight apprehension crossing his perfect face. Sora thrust his full length into Roxas. The blonde screamed, gripping the bed-sheets in his clenched fists, his mind bombarded as Sora pulled in and out of his tight hole, whilst at the same time starting a fast rythm on Roxas member, extracting louder and more rotic cries from his lover. Every word the Nobody spoke dripped with an uncontrollable lust and desire,

"More, I want more of you inside me!" Sora parted the other teens legs, leaning forwards to lock lips with the boys'. Sora's sky-blue eyes were fixed upon Roxas desperate aqua-eyes, gasps and moans escaped the pull from both boys as Sora neared orgasm in Roxas burning hole and Roxas' body squirmed from the four-way sensual assualt as Sora alsa began to play with Roxas' nipples again. Both teens cummed together, Sora inside Roxas while the amber-and-brass haired boy sprayed his seed all over his beloved's golden chest. Sora slid out of Roxas and laid down next to him. Roxas half-turned to face his boy-friend. "I love you Sora." He said as they wrapped each-other in their arms, their legs subtly entwining as their noses brushed.

"I love you too." The two lovers fell asleep quickly in their naked embrace.

Chapter 5

"Argh, History Essay? Ansem didn't say anything about this!" Sora leant against the locker next to his, taking the news from Riku very badly.

"I know, apparently it was Xaldin's idea, he set it for all the classes."

"But how are we to write 4500 words on a topic we haven't even heard of, and we have to do it by History period tomorrow 2nd lesson!?" Asked Kairi. The 3 friends had got into school early that morning when Riku texted the others about the essay.

"I've asked Axel if he could help us out, I mean, have you seen his notes?"

"Unless he pays someone to do it, I don't see how he does it when all he ever does in History is make-out with Demyx!"

"You actually saw them make-out in a lesson!?" The chocolate-headed boy almost squeeled, "when?"

"Last lesson after Ansem yelled at them. I got a picture," the reddish-haired girl gloated, "Gonna blackmail Axel into giving me my tv back!"

"How does Marluxia live with you 2 twerps for family?" Riku recieved a light-hearted slap from his childhood friend, "hey, looks like we aren't the only ones to have gotten up early." The platinum teen exclaimed as a flustered blonde rushed into the main corridor.

"Hi Roxas!" Sora ran to hug his other, Roxas blushed and squirmed, trying to avoid looking at all like he was enjojing it, and failing,

"I noticed you weren't in be- weren't at home when i called, so i guessed you guys would be here."

"Wait, you mean people know that we do this?" Sora gave a Kairi a querrying look, "well how else would he 'guess' we would be in school!?"

"Everyone knows, hadn't you heard all the jokes and rumours about what 3 child-hood friends get up to alone?" Riku could tell the emo-kid was loving this.

"I guess you tolod them all, didn't you Roxas, start a few rumours yourself eh?

"Riku! don't accuse Roxy of that, he'd never do something like that!" Sora linked arms with the Nobody," Right Roxy-kun?"

"Well it may have slipped to Hayner and Pence... and Squall." Kairi laughed.

"Nevermind, we can find another time to meet up." Riku sighed, 'and what? make me have to endure seeing Sora and Roxas so close! Kairi, why can't you control your big mouth?'

'Why is Roxas not trying to get Sora off of him like he normally does... is... is he, oh my god, he winked at Sora!' The red-head almost erupted in a fit of trying to scratch Roxas eyes out. 'Sora is mine damn it!' Riku grabeed herhand, a cool, comm anding look in his emerald eyes. Don't, he was saying, it wouldn't make things any better. She exhaled, calming herself so she could at least not swear aloud.  
A few minutes later and people started piling into the school to start the new week, The 4 disbanded, 1st lesson splitting them all up. Riku left a note on Kairi's locker. 'Go on MSN tonight, urgent, i know you feel it too.' When 1st lesson ahd ended, Kairi caught Riku's eye, having read the note, she saw plainly the agony taht almost seemed to be reflected from herself into Riku's eyes. He needed to talk to someone, but Kairi knew, until Riku built up the guts to tell Sora, he would live in the Darkness of his own heart forever. That she could not imagine.

Chapter 5-6 int

That same night, Riku logged onto his MSN. Kairi was online too.

R: heya  
k: i  
u ok?  
R: yeah, hanging in there  
u?  
K: worried  
bout you  
u wanted to talk  
R: yeah  
God Sora looked cute today  
K: anymore than he laways does?  
R: ... hate to admit it... but  
K: you're happy aren't you  
R: how did you...?  
K: I feel the same  
'as long as Sora is happy,' I told myself  
R: I guess  
*sigh*  
still hard to tahe in.  
K: oh yeah  
I have to say though  
I'd rather it was ROxas than say, Axel  
R: Hell yeah! least Rox is nice...  
I dreamt Sora was in my bed last night  
K: oh?  
R: we held and kissed like sweet-hearts  
K: I tcould happen Riku, he'll come around  
I mean, you're soccer A's captain, you're his best friend, you're hot... how could he reject you, and I know that;s what you;re afraid of, I've guessed after these few months of you nigh crying on my shoulder and balbbing about how you're not good enough  
R: ... T__T  
K: besides, you're better off than me  
Sora doesn;t like boobs it would seem  
God that Roxas is a slut, with his cute little butt!  
R: 0.o  
K: *reaches for blonde voodoo doll*  
R: Know how you feel... D'you  
like Roxas?  
K: He's a nice guy, yeah  
he's a friend that I am soooooooooo jealous of it hurts!  
R: and?  
K: ... and what?

.

wait... WHAT!?  
YOU!?  
R: well, do you?  
K just a bit...  
R: hahaha, tbh, I'm not tooo fussed  
K: hmm, that so?  
R: Sora is happy after all, isn't he!?  
K: Yes, he is. ^^  
it's late, need to crash  
good night Riku! *hug*  
R: gn! x

Chapter 6

Axel and Demyx were chilling out by the skate park. Riku and Kairi were shopping for shoes and soccer kit, Zexion was treating Marluxia to a lunch out and Roxas was away with Seifer and Hayner at the beach. That left Sora in his room alone, even Squall and Cloud were at the movies today.

'Why did mum have to ground me over my grades, I tried my hardest in that History Essay! I got higher marks than Riku, and yet he gets to go shopping... no playstation either, she confiscated that!' Sora went to his large, Victorian-style windows, sitting on the bench and gazing out at the first beautiful day of Summer. Everyone in his school was out-and-about, playing around and enjoying the glorious sunshine. He sighed, withdrawing to his small writing desk, grabbing a copy of PSM3, he settled down to read the day away, 'What a waste,' the teen  
thought,' I could be at the Swimming Gala, or at the beach with Roxas and co.

He watched sullenly as Midday changed to half past, then as 1pm was crawling ever neare, he was surprised to hear a thunk-like noise from his window. He looked up from the 13th magazine he'd read, ears starining,  
"Thunk!" A rock bounced gently off the glass. Sora rushed to investigate. He looked down into his front garden to find Riku aiming another stone. Noticing the brunettem Riku waved eagerly. Sora opened his window, calling to his dear friend.  
"Hey, careful, if you brake these, my mum'll explode!"

"shhh, Kairi's distracting your parents wih flowers at the back door, get some bathers on and a t-shirt and get your butt down here!" replied Riku, raising his thumb up to Axel, who was poking his head from a nearby rose-bush.

"Trunks? Where are we going?"

"The beach, Hayner found a great spot near the island we all used to play on, remember?"

"Demyx wanted to go, so I'm getting dragged along with you guys, but my heart ain't in it, got that memerized?" The volcanic Nobody winked before running off to Demyx's car, which was waiting at the end of Sora's drive.

"Alright, I'll be just a sec!" Sora jumped to his wardrobe, grabbing a tank top with the word 'Toxic' in Green glittery writing on the front. 'Shit, I haven't washed my trunks since Roxy came over... which means...' Sora pulled out a neon pink pair of Licre shorts, 'oh god...'

No-one commented on Sora's attire in the car. Axel took the front-passenger seat, Demyx was driving and Sora was squashed between Riku and Kairi.

"What sort of flowers did you get my parents? inquired the somewhat nervous boy

"Roses from your garden, with a box of chocolates from Riku's kitchen." The red-head replied in triumph.

"You stole my Guylians chocolates!witch!" Riku threw his beach ball at Kairi.

"Careful!" yelled Demyx as the ball was about to be blown away. Sora jumped up, his towell that was on his lap falling away to reveal his pink trunks, just as the car turned the last corner away from the bustling main beach and they spotted the others on a small, quiet strip of golden sand with some bendy palm trees taht made it almost seem alot like the 'Dark Shore'.

The entire group fell about laughing as Sora nigh flew through the air, missed the ball, and landed in the remains of an old sand-castle. His legs kicking madly in the air, Seifer and Hayner had to pull him out of the mini sand drift. Standing up with his cheeks rosey and teeth sparkling as he tried to smile it off, when he noticed Roxas rolling on the floor laughing in his neon green skinpies, tears of merriment at the corners of his crystal-clear eyes, Sora burst into laughter with the rest.

The early group had already set up a sort of picnic camp, and Seifer had brought a volley-ball net, so the friends split up into 2 teems, Roxas, Axel, Demyx and Seifer on one, Riku, Sora, Kairi and Hayner on the other. They played for over an hour, Kairi running around the whole court insanely, Riku slamming the ball home for the final point. Axel leapt, but fell short, losing the game for his team from the tie-braker.

"YES!" Go Riku!" cheered Sora, hi-fiving his frined, who proceeded to head-lock him and rub his knuckles into his head.

"Not so bad yourself, that was a great save from Roxas shot!" 'Strange, but i feel totally cool about you 2... I have Kairi to thanl for that.' Riku thought to himself.

"Aww, it's ok Axel-kun, we'll win next time!" The dirty-blonde wrapped his arms around the fuming teen, trying to put out the fire of a sore-loser. Kairi, Axel and Seifer, along with Hayner, then set off to build a giant sand castle replica of the Beasts caslte with a 1 metre deep moat! Axel and Seifer, using plastic spades, had to dig said moat, whilst using various castle shaped buckets, Hayner designed and shaped a mighty fortress. Kaoro gathered pretty pebbles and shells for details even making and few figures like King Kickey on the walls. Sneakily, Roxas started arranign somke white chips into a familiar symbol.

"Behold, tis the Castle That Never Was!"

"NO! it's the Beasts' and Belle's castle!" Kairi screeched.

"Then why does it have an Arabian tower?"

"Why is there a giant pumpkin?"

"Where'd that Trident come from?"

"Woah, awesome Chinese palace... hang on..."

"There's Memory Skyscraper... And the Black Pearl!"

"Pride Rock too, adn the Colisseum!"

"Hayner, how did you make all this?"

"I didn't, I was watching Roxy and Kairi fight like the rest of you."

"It's all the worlds we saved, together," Sora beamed as he took up a regal pose behinf the sand-anomoly," come on, team-photo!"

"Alright, I'll set up my camera!" Seifer grabbed a tripod and set a timer for 5 seconds. The friends all bunched up, Riku and Kairi held hands with big grins, Axel posed 'mid-glomping' Demyx, Hayner raised his foot as though to crush Twilight Town adn Roxas held Sora from behind, his head over his partners shoulders, both smiling happily. "Okay, 5 seconds people!" Seifer ran, slid, and found himself posing invitingly beneath Hayner, teetering on the edge of the moat.

"Cheese!" They said together, a sharp click, and they fell into laughter again, Seifer falling into the moat. They all ran to the sea and had a splash fight, before all agreed to meet up at 11am tomorrow morning to go to the theme park for Sunday. They snuck Sora back home while his parents were out, and dispersed, all of them in good moods as twilight gave the town of Destiny Island a warm, homely appearance.

Chapter 7

9:00 am, Sunday Morning, Marluxia woke suddenly as his phone played Y.M.C.A. at an annoyingly loud volume. 'curse you Axel, I need to put a lock on this thing.' Marluxia got out of bed, showered rapidly, dressed himself in a purple, plain t-shirt, 'flare' jeans, white trainers =with amiss-matched neon green and pink laces and a pink and red jacket. His freshly conditioned hair he now unclipped from where it had been kept in the shower, the luscious pink locks flowing to frame his dazzling features.

"Marly-kun, d'you want an omelette?" Kairi called from the kitchen.

"No thanks Kai, has Axel got up yet?"

"Nah, he's still sleeping like a log, I heard your alarm, lock your door at night!"

"No! Marluxia's door is always open to any friend or stranger in need of comfort!" He replied entering the kitchen.

"In other words so emo-boy can come and go as he pleases... Ha!"

"How cruel, Zexy, like all the cute boys we know, is always invited to crash here, would you deny Sora-kun or Roxy?"

"If I could get a picture of you glomping them at the door, of course!"

"What would you do with such a thing, you're supposed to be innocent!" retorted the elder sibling, sitting down to eat s bowl of 'Lucky Charms'.

"Prove to everyone that you're a paedo." Kairi smiled sweetly as she said this, before pigging out on the omelette she had just made.

"So kind of you."  
Meanwhile at chez Roxas, the blonde slowly emerged from his quilted bed sheets, crawling downstairs in his boxers and t-shirt to the smaller kitchen, where his mother was preparing breakfast for his Dad.

"Hi mum, sleep well?"

"Oh good morning Roxy, I did thank you, yourself?"

"Fine, was texting Sora quite a lot"

"You and Sora are good friends now, it's great that you 2 made up after that row you had a year ago... It wasn't either of your faults."

"Well the real perpetrator never owned up, so we were unable to trust each other for a while... What am i talking about, it doesn't matter now." Roxas smiled, his mother looking relieved that he was happy, but still concerned.  
"Well I guess you'll be leaving in an hour to meet Sora and the others at the theme park!"

"Yeah, I'm meeting with Riku, Kairi and Sora-kun at school first since it's on the way for all of us." Finishing his cereal, he gave his mum a big kiss and hug, a genuine smile lighting up his angel-face, he dressed and spent the next hour on the trampoline and listening to Metallica.  
10:00am. Riku has been awake all night texting Kairi, about how long he's had a thing for her, how happy he is that they can be together at last and how he cared for her. Before he finally ended the deep, mutually revealing conversation, he rose the subject of Sora.

"I still have a crush on him, and Roxy's still cute, and I feel that not telling them I am that way wouild be wrong and i feel that i need to be completely honest with them."

"I understand... I feel similar, but I only really care in this case that you don't feel guilty or like you're betraying them."

"So, I think now, thanks to your divine intervention, I can tell Sora tomorrow at the theme park"

"^^ I'm glad you can get it off your chest! Did Marly tell you which park we're going to?"

"Nope, he's texted everyone to met at your house 1st, so Sora, Roxas and me can meet outside school, you needn't waste time coming too."

"He did? Riku... Marly can't even spell his own name, never mind communicate with what 7 people via any form of writing!"

"This is the message i got, 'meet at Kairi's and my house, love Marrlooksia."  
After saying good night, and after catching a few hours sleep, Riku has a bath, his athletic body submerged in hot, bubbly water. He massages body-wash into his slim thighs and arms, his head lolling back as he starts today-dream about his crush, He rubs the gloopy liquid into his muscled form and hardening member, his pale skin gleaming as he fully submerges to wet his hair and wash off the soap. He resurfaces after 10 seconds, gasping for air, blowing bubbles out of his way, he sits up to wash his hair. Getting a globule of shampoo in his palm, he begins to smooth it into his soaked, silver hair. Working up a lather, he turns on the bath's shower head and rinses out the foam. Having repeated this with conditioner, he stood and stepped out of the bath, wrapping a white towel around his shoulders, he took out the plug and dried himself off. He combed his hair before shoving on some briefs, a short-sleeve black shirt, black jeans and casual loafers.  
'what if Sora begins to judge me on how i look? What if Sora always judged me? No, Sora's too kind-hearted to do that, and Roxas wouldn't try to change his mind... Ach, nerves dammnit!' Riku took a glance at the clock, 'shit, 10:35, I need to hurry, grab a cereal-bar for breakfast, run to catch Sora on the way to School. I'll tell him then so he can back me up when I tell Roxy.' Confident now that he had a game-plan, the green-eyed warrior rushed via the pantry to come out to his best-friend.

Chapter 8

Sora took a glance at his watch. Sighing, he leant against a tree on the school front lawn. 'Where are they, gotta be at the park in like 15 minutes!'

"Hey Sora-kun! Where are Riku and Kairi?"

"No idea hunny, haven't seen 'em yet." The couple hugged, holding eachother close for a minute or so. Roxas felt the warmth of Sora's skin from when he had been standing in the sun, while Sora smelt the sweet herbal scents in Roxas hair.

"Love you." The blonde stated almost shyly.

"Love you too Roxy." Chirped the happy brunette, whilst rubbing his nose gently against Roxas', before kissing him lovingly on the lips.  
The pair stayed like this for another minute until Sora felt a vibration in his right pocket of his purple skinny-jeans. He took out his phone and read the text, which was from Riku. It read: 'Sora, where are you? Roxas, Hayner and Seifer have met Demyx with his car at the Mall. Me, Marly and Kairi are at Kairi's house and so is Axel but he's still in bed.'

"Oh... crap."

"What?" Sora handed Roxas the phone, "shit." The boys sprinted as fast as they could to get to the others.

"But I got a text from Marly saying that it was ok if we were a bit late so we could meet here with Riku!"

"Same, weird..." The boys soon turned the final corner and dashed across the street to Kairi's front door.

"Hey Kai-Kai, it's us!" Shouted the only-slightly-puffed-out brunette as Roxas panted breathlessly next to him.

"There you are! Marly was worried sick!" the girl replied as she opened the heavy door," where have you been?"

"We were waiting for you and Riku outside of school or at least Sora was till I got there." Roxas said having caught his breath.

"But Riku said he got a text 'from Marly', saying everyone was to meet here... what the hell is going on?" As she said this, Marluxia nigh flew out the door, yammering heatedly into his mobile.

"What, I never sent anyone texts last night Dem, yet you say this one was from my phone?" Sora heard the muffled reply from Demyx saying 'yeah' on the other end as Marly hurriedly hugged him and Roxas in greeting, "right, wait there, I've got Kai, Sora and Roxy here, so that just leaves Riku to get back and Axel to get dressed... I know he's lazy, he just got out the shower."

"Sorry I'm late guys!" The silver-haired boy called from the back of his bike.

"Riku! Where have you been?" Sora asked , gripping Riku tightly in his arms as the boy dismounted.

"Was looking for you 2, I got here earlier, then Marluxia sent me to find you."

"Right, we're all here, let's go!" Ordered Marluxia as he slapped his phone shut, striding off, his pink hair flailing in the breeze.

"What about Axel?" Cried Kairi as she hurried to catch up with the boys.

"He'll catch up; he seems to be the only one not confused at least."

The gang arrived at the Mall and met the others by the car, setting off without further delay. 10 minutes later they arrived at the chosen theme park, a small, little known setup with great prices and a good rep with their round here for great rides. I was called Twilight Land. As the car pulled up to the gates friends from, Marly leant over Demyx to pay for the tickets. They parked the car and everyone piled out, Seifer, Hayner and Roxas from the back seat, Sora, Kairi and Riku from the cramped boot. Suddenly, Marluxia squealed with shock, his hand clamping over his gaping mouth while his other pointed shakily towards the main entrance. The others turned in surprise to see what has so affected their friend.  
A boy with extremely familiar red hair was shaking hands with, kissing the cheeks of and warmly greeting all the Keyblade-masters friends from other worlds.

"Donald, Goofy!" Sora cried as he ran forward to hug his dear companions

"Sora!" They both replied, the trio jumping up and down in a circle in their usual reunion style.

"King Mickey, Queen Minnie!" Riku and Kairi exclaimed, hugging their old compatriot and his sweetheart. All their friends from Disney Castle, Halloween Town, Agrabah, The Coliseum and all the other worlds were there

"Axel, how? How could you organise this? You were in your room!" The shaken pink-boy asked.

"Set my phone to a recording of my voice, left that motion sensor Zexy made for youby my door and hooked 'em up... pretty clever huh?"

"But why did you confuse us all with the texts, and how have you all managed to get here, the worlds are cut off aren't they?" Sora asked first of Axel, then Mickey.

"The texts were to make you all a bit later so our friends had time to arrive." Replied the pyro-teen

"And remember Sora, there will always be a door to the light, where-ever that light may be. Remember how Kairi's letter opened a door for you and Riku? Well, Axels' invitation did the same for all of us!"  
The now bolstered party spent the whole day in the park, the Disney group putting on a miraculous show in the evening. The finale had Mickey stood atop a mini spire of rock, the setting sun framing his small form. He mastered the wind and waters, causing great shows of sparkling droplets to shimmer and dance from the lake beneath him as the others danced to the sound of the Beast's servants mini orchestra.

Chapter 9

the weekend again. The past week sped by Sora as every spare afternoon was spent chilling with Roxas and the others. Saturday afternoon, Sora's mum calls him to the living room, saying that Kairi's on the line.  
"Hey Kairi, what's up?"  
"Well, I was wondering if you might be able to join me and Riku at the Thai restaurant he found, we're going there tonight!"  
"Aw, sorry, but we're having Roxas over for a sleepover. We're having a big steak dinner."  
"That's ok, hope you have a great time, give my love to your family and Roxy!"  
"Will do, luv you, bye."  
That evening, the Osment family put on a grand table-spread, a brilliant roast meal topped with barbecued sirloin steak, Sora and Cloud's favourite meal.  
"Mmm, this steak is awesome Mr Osment; the barbecue's really cooked it nicely!"  
"Glad you like it, I've always preferred barbecuing most red meat, it gets rid of almost all the excess fat."  
"The potatoes are great mum, really crispy!" Sora beamed at his mother, she reciprocated this action.  
"Thank you darling. So Roxas how are your parents these days, your mother still cooking those delicious fish-cakes she brought to you and Riku's last soccer game?"  
"They're fine thank you Mrs Osment; she loves them too, so she'll do them again sometime."  
"How's your Dad's job as a genius property developer? I can't thank him enough for sorting out my brothers' place."  
"He's still enjoying it, and that skiing trip you took him on more than made things even, we owe you guys a holiday!"  
"Not at all, it was our pleasure; it'd be good to take you somewhere Roxas, Florida next Summer sound good to you?"  
"That'd be really cool; I'll have to check with my parents about dates, but thank you very much! And what about you Cloud, when are you going to America to start your Gap Year travels?"  
"My flight's in two days, so Sora will have the place to himself to trash in the mornings."  
"Hey, I'm not as messy as you!" They all laughed cheerfully. After a dessert of ice cream for the boys and strawberries and cream for the parents, Sora and Roxas retired from the table, grabbing a coke each. They went into Sora's room, Roxas undressed down to briefs and a tiny bit too small t-shirt  
as Sora stripped down to boxers, then put the DVD for Tropic Thunder in the PS2 on his HD TV, Sora started the movie, then lay down next to Roxas on the bed after 10 minutes, Roxas gave the brunette a love-bite, who turned to react, when the other caught him on the lips and wrapped his arms around his lover.  
"First we play CoD4 then watch Tropic Thunder, is there a theme going on here?"

"What? I like military stuff!" Roxas retorted, slightly missing Sora's joke

"Sure you don't mean guys in the military?" The brunette mumbled under his breath as Roxas lightly nipped at his ear.

"Hmm? Sorry mind repeating that DEAR?"

"Oh I didn't say anything about uniforms." Cooed Sora before kissing the now pouting Roxas on the nose, which immediately caused the other boy to give up adn forgive him. The two of them lay on eachother for a moment, soaking in the sounds of the comedy. Roxas' brow furrowed in thought ever so slightly;

"I wonder what you'd look like in army kit..."

"Yeah with my face covered in camo paint that about 100 hundred other guys have spat in during hot campaings!"

"mmmmm... Hot campaigns." Roxas daydreamed for a split second, before recoiling in his own mind from the idea. Instead he leant down and layed his lips on Sora's Slowly working his tongue deepened the kiss, Roxas' left hand sliding inside Sora's boxers to stroke his ass, while the other gripped his hips  
Eventually, he starts stroking outside Sora's boxer. He starts to kiss the tanned-youth's neck and gives him a 2nd love bite, moving down to his chest, he begins to suck and lightly tease Sora's nipples with his tongue. Sora start to massage his Dream Boy's member as he does likewise to Sora, Who then slides down the bed till his head is by partners' crotch, licking along the edge of his briefs  
Which he then slid the off, as well as his shirt.

Sora's right hand starts massaging his balls while he licks the shaft of Roxas' erection. taking a handful of the brown hair in his hand as he moans loudly as Sora lightly licks the tip while his other hand strokes his pale legs, before moving his entire length into his warm mouth, Sora's tongue tracing twirls on the head. Roxas almost cried out in pleasure, causing his hips buck to thrust his 'weapon' deeper into his love's throat. Sora has to restrain his hips to stop him from cumming straight into his mouth. Sora suddenly stops, as he comes back up, his mouth full of the Nobodies precum. The pair pull, sharing he warm sweat liquid, heir members pressed against each other's.  
"I want to be with you forever Sora, I've been alone too long, the Darkness stole my happiness... you make me feel so warm though." They cuddle naked, simply enjoying near 100% of their bodies touching, as they softly grind their crotches together.

The two boys sit up, moving till they sit opposite each other, both their balls pressed against each other as Roxas' legs wrap round the Sky-eyed teens' back and Sora's go under his to wrap around his waist. Roxas grabs both their appendages in his hand and rubs them both off slowly, they pull, tongues going wild in each other's mouths. Sora slips a hand onto the sun-light haired boys' member and they begin to jack each other off properly. As they both begin to moan loudly, the teens stop before they can both climax. Roxas grins almost sadistically at his starry-eyed lover.  
"I want to be whole with you Sora, I want to be inside you again."He said this as he was reaching down to his jeans to grab an un-remarkable plastic bottle.  
"I want you so badly, Roxas, it's too much... I can't take this waiting!"  
"It'll be ok Sora, I'm here for you."He pushes the anxious teen back onto the bed, positioning Sora's legs to allow access, he gets some lube on his finger and begins to rub it onto the other boys' entrance. Taking a larger amount, Roxas begins to spread and rub it onto his length, also taking some from his palm to rub onto Sora's member. They stayed like this for about a minute, working the lube onto each other's heated bodies. Roxas then moves Sora's hand away, and thrusts almost full length into the Keyblade Hero's tight entrance. Sora's face cringed, his eyes became teary and strained, his lips quivering lightly. 'He must've hit my prostate, because I got the same feeling as an orgasm straight away!'  
'Fuck, Sora, you're so tight and hot, it's sending me wild! I need more of you!' Sora literally screamed as the Nobody lunged in again and pulled him at the same time. He began to jack off the overwhelmed boy as well, whilst with his other hand he massaged lube onto the whole of Sora's body. Roxas slowly increasing the speed of his thrusts, his hips bucking madly as well as Sora's as both experience new heights of ecstasy. Sora's hands claw at his lovers' back as the 2 boys' pull, Roxas' hand rubbing faster than ever on the brunette's lengthy member. Sora's almost crying, sob-like groans of pleasure muffled by their tongues and lips as Roxas grunts uncharacteristically loudly and harshly. Finally, Roxas climaxes inside Sora and with his length still fully inside the moaning teen , he makes his angel cum with his lube covered hand. He then sucks and licks Sora clean. After 10 minutes of watching the film, both their members still hard, Roxas still inside Sora, until they managed to catch their breath.  
"Thank you... I want to return the favour." Sora whispered, causing Roxas to blush and harden further at the thought of what might happen. Sora shifts forward to extract Roxas' erection from his entrance, turning over, he kisses the hopeful blonde on his precum drenched lips. Sora then re-positioned so that his head was next to Roxas' groin and vice-versa. The 2 boys began to erotically pleasure each other, their hands exploring each other's entire nether regions, tongues and lips wetting and massaging all over the sensitive skin. Roxas gripped Sora's ass, taking the brunette's entire length into his mouth. Sora moans softly, before laying one hand on the blonde's hip, then his other on Roxas' warm balls, he then wrapped his lips around the jutting member before him, his tongue swirling un-controllably over the hyper-sensitive head. Soon both boy's climaxed again, their ecstatic groans vibrating into their partners erections, causing even more pleasure for each other.  
When the movie came to an end a few seconds later, since Roxas had accidentally knocked the controller to skip 3 quarters of it, the teens lay down, still naked, their bodies pressed together by sweat covered arms.  
"How was that?" Sora asked with a surprising degree of innocence.  
"Really good Sora... I've... I've never had something so nice done for me by anyone, you really made me feel good," Roxas replied passionately. Sora beamed and grinned. 'God you look cute...' He thought suddenly, "I never thought my dream would come true, that we'd be together, especially so close, I thought you'd become no more than a far off memory, but you came back... and I love you for that, and for your kindness and sincerity, your beautiful smile and clear-blue eyes... I don't deserve someone as loving and pretty as you Sora."  
"Nonsense, I'm no-where near as hot as you say, you're angelic, and of course I came back to you, I loved you from the first day I knew you, my Nobody." 'You could say it was fated that we'd be together' mused Sora, 'I've always felt this way about you, your clumsy charm, your clever way of explaining funny things to me and how you always manage to preserve the good mood of a place, even if you're not happy yourself... well from now on I'm going to do everything I can to make you the happiest person in the world if I can!'

Chapter 10

Dew shone on the surface of the rock garden, patches of moist grass springing in flares of vibrancy between the chisseled stones. Petals in pink and lilac drifted from the flowery cherry blossom tree there, the odd blue-bell visible amidst the riot of nature. Water splashed and gurgled from one rock pool to the next, running in gulleys and shutes, catching beams of light breaking through the layers of greenery overhead, lite spray and foam spilling from the idyllitc water-ways to sustain the fragile plants. Catching a soft petal in his hand, a teary-eyed teen with hair of a colour identical to the flowers on the tree before him, sighed as he recalled his first visit to this sanctuary.

It was when he and the other Nobodies had just been freed from the Darkness. Marluxia was amazed by the town park, spending hours wandering among the beautifull greens, the sunny pastures, the mysterious, whispering woods. Until one day, in the full beauty of Spring he came across the haven-like rock garden. His Grandmother was there, tending the blossom and setting up a bird-feeder for a small family of swallows nesting in her favourite tree.

"Grandma! Did you make this?" The stunned boy asked as he approached his guardian. she turned to him with a jolly smile on her face.

"Make it? Heavens no, twas your Grandpappy who carved the pools. But Him and I planted this tree 40 years ago. We had our first kiss where I now stand. He proposed as the moonlight lit up his newly finished present for me. He made it with his own tender and kind hands."

"It's unbelievable! Do you come here often then?" asked the dumbstruck grandchild.

"Every Day, I come to feed the birds and give the blossom a few drops of your Grandpa's home made tree-feed" The boy stepped up next to his beloved care-taker, the woman who had looked after him and Axel when their parents passed on. He hugged her tightly, tears appearing at the corners of his young eyes.

"What was he like Grandma?"

"He was a brave man. He fought the Heartless even when most spoke of the End. He saved our daughter, your dear sweet mother and I a thousand times. I promised him that as long as this tree lived, I would love him."

Marluxia choked, tears falling from his glistening eyes. A genuine cry of sorrow tore its way from his lungs. The beautifull tree, his Grandparents engagement gift and his Grandma's one consolement in life was dying. He tried all he could, but not even his families perfect methods could save the tree. Only one other person knew of this place, and after the 2 of them died, his Grandparents story would be forgotten and this patch-of-heaven lost. He tended the garden whenever he had a free hour, till on this cool, serene night, the last blossoms perished before his very eyes.

Through the final falling feathers of velvety nature, Marluxia caught sight of a figure dressed in black jeans and a body length doble-breast coat, his platinum highlighted cold-purple hair cascading over his face to conceal his right eye. He held a black rose in his gloved hand. He caught the nearest petal, the vibrant blossom seemed odd in his slender fingers, a flare of life in a dead shell. He rubbed the petal with his thumb and fore-finger, bruising the soft flesh, before dropping the petal to the ground. The flower-boy slowly rose from his reverie, his eyes catching those of the solemn teen before him. The two approached each other, meeting beneath the boughs of the poor tree. The petals littering the floor were silently crushed beneath Marluxia's bare feet and Zexion's steel-tipped boots, a sweet scent rising to fill the hazy air.

They stood apart by a metre or two, eyes locked, neither willing to brake the serene, pure natural silence of the gushing water. The moon streamed between branches to cause an elegant dance of pale light to play upon the dying tree and the 2 lovers. Zexion was the only other person to understand the importance of the tree. He blushed, his pale cheeks reddening a fiery scarlet as he averted his eyes from his weeping partner. He extended his arm, offering the noir rose as if in compensation. His eyes snapped back to Marluxia, before finally, he spoke;

"Let's grow a rose bush aroud the trunk, then we can remember them in our own way. I'm sorry."

The boys silently set about the work of settling in the uprooted rose in a patch of moonlight, stealing glances at each other as the dark petals intoxiacted Marluxia with their rich scent. They stood, now brought together by their joint task. 'We haven't even kissed yet.' Thought the silent pink-haired lover. Then Zexion wrapped his bangle-ladden arms behind Marluxia's head, their foreheads pressed together. Gradually their heads tilted, till their lips wavered a breath away from each others. They came together for both their first kisses. They remained like this for half a dozen minutes or so before lying down to sleep neath the moon and in their garden. Marluxia's last sight before tender sleep took hold of him, was a single black blossom unfurling on the once-sick tree, as hundreds more began budding.

Chapter 11

Darkness, Darkness all around.  
Falling, Falling through the Darkness.  
Lost, the sensation unbearable.  
Dead, not even a memory,  
But instead, a Dream.  
Is any of this real, or not?

Forms, winged, scattering to reveal the Dream.  
Lies fleeing hhowing me the truth.  
One Soul, 2 hearts, 1 dream.  
A creation born of ignorance  
The gathering with the Third Key  
Everything is coming back to me.

Sora remembered this place, the stained glass, the inpenetrable darkness, the sense of solemnity adn that voice, hallowed, reassuring adn full of purpose. But it was different, strained, like an itch he couldn't scratch, he couldn't place it, but it gnawed at the Keyblades Chosen.

'I've been here before... Or somewhere similiar, the glass, it showed Sora then. Now...' Roxas gazed down at the startling image of him and Sora stood together, holding hadns as they battled Heartless and Nobodies on either side. Roxas felt assured that he and Sora could stand against anything together.

'Hang on, what's that in the middle...' Sora peered closer to the glass. A strange form had caught his eye between the figures of himself and Roxas side by side. 'Hang on, it looks like our shadows are-' The teens heads collided with a thundering crash int he silent void, their heads ringing with the surprising blow. "Roxas! You're here."

"Yep, Didn't see you at first. Did you see that thing in the middle too?" Roxas attempted to climb to his feet, but his head throbbed madly and he rested his rounded posterior on the cold glass.

"mmhhm, saw it all right, it looks like our shadows are crossing, but they bend up together when they meet. It looks like we have one shadow." Sora had managed to rise and now offerd the somewhat embaressed blonde his hand. Accepting the offer, Roxas heaved himself up from the floor to gaze at the unusual image. The voice in their minds continued to grind uneasily about their joint soul and their bond, but then it stopped short, a painful jolt bursting from the contact between the couples tight hands. The reassuring voice was replaced by a far more distrurbing one. It reverbrated in their bones and sent icy tingles up their spines. Roxas threw his seraphic head around to find the source. Sora stared wide-eyed at the odd the shadow.

"You failed them all," growled the new voice," Your arrogance led you to leave them. You drived on ahead and left Kairi and Mickey behind, you let Donald and Goofy get trapped behind the door, you wanted it for yourself Sora, the glory, the power! And you Roxas, you left Axel a broken man, he could never be consoled or even forgive himself, he thought you hated him, and that crushed your greatest supporter. You allowed Sora to kill your once friends, Demyx, Marluxia, Xigbar, Larxene. They died and were lost to the Dark because you didn't help them. Now neither the Light nor the Dark are at peace, and I cannnot allow my kind to languish in this pergatory!"

"Wait! What do you mean your kind, who are you!" Roxas was hysterical, the thought that he could have helped his friends get hearts before and that he hurt Axel so deeply cut to his core.

"Roxas, look, our shadows!" Sora pointed a trembling finger at the darks shapes beneath them.

"Who am I you ask, I am non-existant, and this time, I'll fight!" Shadows began to rise from the glass, Heartless surrounded the pair. Their Keyblades appeared and they began again their figh for survival. One shadow remained in the center of the platuae, Staring the boys shadows that hadn't moved from their position over the dark glass. The shadow spoke in a shrill, pained voice;

"We have come for you my liege. You are the source of all Heartless!" The shadow then faded into the shape before it, the darkness forming into a humanoid shape. The keyblade warriors had finished the small mob of shadows and turned to gaze at the warping un-light. The body-shape seemed to be a shadow cast from beneath the glass, growing stronger and more defined. A roar of air tore over the tower knocking Sora and Roxas to glass. Moments later,t he glass shattered beneath them. Sora began falling, or was it rising, without the tower he had no idea of direction or Landmark. He saw Roxas being pulled away from him, by a person, they wore a strange hood and gothic, skinny-style clothing. Red tinted eyes glared from beneath the hood as Sora faded from Roxas view.

"The closer you are to the light, the stronger your Darkness will become." Whispered the person, a young man it seemed, sounding around their age.

"No! Sora bring him back, you bastard! Who are you to do this?" Screamed the desperate captive.

"I am a monument to your sins, Roxas, nothing more, nothing less." Crowed the villain. Roxas blacked out moments later, waking up with a cry of terror for Sora, his pale naked chest covered with a film of sweat.

Chapter 12

Sora woke with a scream, his body shivering, his fitful sleep havinh thrown his duvet to the floor. Sweat glistened on hi naked chest as early dawn light shone through his open window. He grabbed his phone, fumbling with the numbers for a while as his eyes honed in. He finally got a text off to Roxas, before he slumped back and wrapped up in his retrieved duvet. He was surprised to get a reply within a minute or 2.

'I no, I had the same dream... Dam it's cold, u ok Sora?' Was the blonde's mispelt reply.

'Fine, duhn worry, what about u? We shared a dream... that's kinda cool! cept this one was weird =__='

'I guess I'm ok, a little spooked. Yeah I'd have preferred us in a field of flowers somewhere! ^^'

'I'll come and hug you at school, k? Duhn worry. Who was that guy in the dream?'

'I have no idea, His voice sounded vaguely... Italian! and thanks, I'll look forward to it!'

'Weird... teehee cya then Roxy!'

'Yeah, night Sora, I'm going to bed now *yawn*'

'Roxas... it's 7:30 am silly :3'

'... damn.'

Finally, after a few dozen minutes waiting, Roxas' earlier alarm went off. But he was already wide awake, so he jumped out of bed to begin his frantic daily routine. He went to hisen-suite bathroom and hit the breaks by the mirror. With his 'icey-mint' toothpaste being scrubbed around his mouth, Roxas eyed himself in the reflective window. His hair was matted, but still held some of it's shape from yesterdays product infusion. His eyes had that morning dullness to them, but still caught the light more than the mirror itself. He took off his p-j bottoms and showered quickly as he was used to by now with more rushed mornings. His hair now silky and clean, he dried of with a golden towel and began combing and working the products into his spiked genericly 'Roxas' style. Having dealt with his malleable hair, he made his way to the walk in wardrobe. From the racks of designer clothes, he withdrew a simple pair of ambiguous shorts and an almost-white short sleeve shirt to fit the pale blue jean-shorts. grabbing the first pair of new-looking trainers he could see, he shot at unusual speeds to get something in his grumbling stomach.

Sora on the other hand, was being prodded by his mother as he had fallen into a sleep so deep it put the Mid-Atlantic-Ridge to shame. His mother finally went to get a glass of water and trickled it onto his peacefull face. The look of shock and guilt on his face after his 5-second thrashing fit left his mother in hysterics. When she eventually stopped laughing at his uke expression (though she wouldn't know to call it that) she told him he would be late for school if he didn 't get in the shower now. His shower though was broken, so he had to use Clouds while he was away. Having made clean himself, he dressed in plain, fitted linen shorts and a thin t-shirt saying "You know I'm goos for it! 0__o" in Rainbow letters on the front and back. Both boys, despite their varied timings, managed to arrive at school with the mob, shuffling through the crowding zombies to their first class, Chemistry, in which they had to endure Axel's full attentions.

" Pssst... Pssssssst, Roxas... Rock-sass!" hissed Axel.

"What is it ass-of-fire?" The 13th replied, annoyed that his rambling theories to the sleepy Sora had been interrupted.

"I like it when you call me stuff like that!"

"Just get to the point."

"Mansex says a big bunch o' Heartless have been seen milling around the edges of this world, says something bigs coming, cause theres more than just the wee little shadows in this lot. You goota be at Betwixt & Between midnight tonight for the briefing... god I ahte these new 'organised' missions..." Roxas stuck his tongue out at the pyro.

"I'll be there, thanks for the heads-up Axel."

"Anytime 'Key-to-my-heart'" Axel then made use of a lavatory excuse to avoid Roxas' hidden jab to the kidneys. Sora, having just woken from another nodding-off, piped up in a fair voice asking;

"Axel-kun, where you going?!?!?!" The class stared at him for a good long minute before the teacher dejectedly gave the poor teen a small punishment off having to stand outside in the corridor for the rest of the lesson. After Axel had passed and made a few jokes about crossing keyblades etc, Sora just had to mope for 5 minutes. Suddenly, Sora's head filled with a droning rushing noise, tille it cleared and he could tell it was screams. His mind throbbed painfully, in a sudden twang of pain he was brought to his knees. The class door was shut, so no-one noticed him collapse in contortion. ahead of him, the school receptionist was giving a tour of the facilities to what looked like prospective parents. The couple looked mediterranean, Spanish, no Italian! Sora's mind was still screwed up with agony when the pair stepped into a classroom to get a false-taste of the teenage mind at work. Their child, presumablt the one who was doomed to come to the school, was revealed. Sora's pain doubled as he layed eyes upon the teen. He could make out next to nothing trough the developing haze in his eyes, but he managed to discern raven black waves of hair, styled with small amounts of gel, with bloody burgundy highlits to the tips of the 'semi-spikes' Sora passed out then, his last sight being the classroom door opening and Roxas rushing out to grab him, a look of sudden fear and worry crossing his angelic face.

Sora came to in the school medical centre. He fealt the half-comfort of a hospital bed under his light frame, a reassuring had was clasped to his. He managed after a few moments to open his bleary eyes. He met the care-filled eyes of his partner staring back at him. The burst of joy on Roxas' face was enough to make the newly concious boy smile weakly. The nurses came in and asked him how his head felt, what ahd happened and so on. He didn't really know what had happened, so he said he was just very tired, fell asleep leant agaisnt the wall but fell and hit his head on the way down.

"How did you guys get me to the med centre?"

"Well, this boy we'd never seen before ran over from another classroom, he was getting shown around by the receptionist, he lifted you up like you were made of paper! Roxas seemed to find that last bit annoying. Sora wasn't heavy, but he was in very good shape from swimming and working out, so Roxas had some difficulty if he ever wanted to be the romantic seme.

"He knew where to bring me?"

"Yeah he said he'd already been shown this part of the school, so he ran holding you faster than most of us could with nothing but books in our hands."

"Wow... I need to thank him I guess... But Roxas, I don't know really what happened, but I felt an unbearable pain in my head which was what knocked me out, it started when he walked into the corridor with his parents. it got worse when they stepped aside to stop blocking my view."

"That's crazy... but then again, Heartless are on the prowl once more, so weird stuff can happen, and Sora, you're notorious as a magnet for wierd stuff!"

"Yeah, just look at my boyfriend, weird as hell!" Roxas laughed along with Sora after he'd lightly punched his arm. Sora became well as ever before long, so the nurses decided he could get back to class for the five minutes before lunch.

Chapter 13

That night, Roxas dreamt again. he was on the Dark Shore where he met Xemnas, and where Sora and Riku had ended up after freeing the Nobodies from said villain. He was alone, but he was used to this place. He came her when he wanted to be alone and away from the mad hell that was the Castle that never was. Only Axel knew he had come here often, and this was one of the few times Axel proved himself a sweetheart by leaving Roxas to his thoughts. Roxas turned to see a person walking towards him. They remained silent for a while, before Roxas broke the peaceful lapping of the waves with his sing song voice.

"I was wondering if you'd turn up to ruin this for me..."

"I'm not here to trouble you, just warn you," The boy from Roxas and Sora's shared dream sat down next to the blonde, his hood concealing his glowing eyes," This army of Heartless on the borders of Destiny Islands is no random mob. They're looking for something, in someone in particular," The boy turned and fixed Roxas with a piercing gaze. The Keyblades Nobody shivered, but held those balefull eyes with his own cerulean orbs. "I always feel at peace here," The boy turned away, staring off into the dim glow of Kingdom Hearts, "I think I'm at home here."

"Where do you live?" Roxas spoke quietly, he'd actually found someone else who understood this deep place. It may have been the depths of all Darkness, but it was home.

"Ah, well, I guess you might call me a tramp. I have no home, no family, no resting place..." That last one unnerved Roxas, then suddenly he realised:

"Heartless! Of course... This is your birthplace!" His realisation seemed to please the other being, as he smiled a genuine smile, before speaking again.

"Where were you born Roxas?"

"... I guess... Hollow Bastion... Radiant Garden to be accurate. That's where Sora split himself to get Kairi back."

"Ofcourse... Do you know what Sora did that day?"

"He unlocked his own heart in order to free Kairi's from inside him, in so doing, he made himself into a Heartless and 'gave birth' to me... and Namine as well, but Kairi stayed human cause her heart is pure, being a princess n' all."

"And what happened to Sora's Heartless? Or better yet, what is Sora's Heartless?"

"That's the first time I've heard that question... I never understood the whole Darkside thing he had... His shadow could rise up against him even if he was still then he became a shadow till Kairi rebuilt him, which meant I could stay alive. From there... I guess the Heartless faded. When Ansem damaged Kingdom Hearts, he freed the hearts of all the Organisation members, even Xehanorts. In order to get them though, we needed to fade... So me and Namine had to convince Sora and Kairi to give us up in a way, we then got our own hearts, as Kingdom Hearts seemed to be able to recreate our souls..."

"You're correct about the Nobodies, but you're missing a vital point. When Sora was on this very shore, for do not be fooled, this is no dream, you are here with me. He left something behind. He and Riku were close to joining the Darkness, and this intent immediately split their hearts again. Riku retained his as a whole since he was used to the power of evil, but Sora's body rejected it... He left his Darkness behind."

"So he's like a prince?" Roxas could believe that.

"I guess. But Kingdom Hearts is the carer for all hearts, even the fragmented ones, so it built upon this dark heart, but it had alot to go on. usually a heart is not amde on that shore itself, so this heart would be different. It would be stronger than the fragments in the other Heartless. Xehanorts Heartless was strong enough to have physical form, but it's soul was the same, it desired Kingdom Hearts just as the Nobody did. This heart was new. It's tie to Sora merely its' foundation."

"So it's like... a pure Dark Heart as it were?"

"Yes, exactly, it's Sora's polar opposite. Kingdom Hearts knew precisely the soul to give this heart, and knew what sort of shell it would require. It gave it the soul of the very first Heartless. But before it could make the new body, the Heartless in general resurfaced and began scattering throughout the stars to darken more worlds. the Pure Heart was lost during the initial upheaval on the World that Never Was."

"So Sora's Heartless is incomplete?" Roxas was finding this all a bit much to take in, but he fealt a strong sense of trust in this teen he saw, he felt like he was sat by a kindred spirit.

"It was, but it found its own way, some say it's leading this army now towards Destiny Islands. Well, i wish you luck in the battle Roxas, I hope we meet again."

"Wait, I'm not done asking you stuff!"

"Why don't you ask the new kid at school, he'll help you out with a few things" The boy winked secretly, then walked straight through one of the weird rocks that littered the shore. He was gone, and Roxas was alone again. He focused upon the idea of Sora, hsi friends, school, his family, adn before long, he 'awoke' in his bed, his feet wet from the gentle waves and hsi head still full of unanswered questions. 'Damn that kid knows how to tantalise my brain! What did I just hink? woah, I guess he was kinda cute... In a dark kind acreepy way... Don't think he'd be what one might call gothic though... Too... I dunoo, he reminds me more of an Italian Prince or something, or was it Romanian? Fuck, it's 2 in the morning... way to leave me at a great time...' Roxas slept meagrely that night, he couldn't get the idea of that unnamed boy out of his head. 'Wonder who he was in real life... He's a bit like Riku!'

Chapter 14

With English and History out of the way, Sora looked forward to enjoying a quiet, relaxing time in psychology listening to the low, peaceful hum of Aurons teaching voice. Sora's warm aura was seen as perfectly normal by his peers as he stepped with measured skips thrown into his content advance. Auron was also his private tutor, so he let the brunette off when he nodded off in class. He was met at the door by Riku. Greeting his best friend with a wave and a run-up-hug, the two boys shot to the back of the class to get some found Zexion reading a beautiful, hand-writeen tome with elegant script. He nodded at Riku abd a quick flash of his cool eyes aknowledged Sora's gayly beaming presence.

"Sora, what you doing this afternoon?" Riku had leant over to disturb the sleeping sun-boy.

"I'm helping Roxy get ready for the huge par-..." Sora gulped and pretended to hiccup. Riku stayed silent, but his bright cunning spheres told Sora he needn't worry, he already knew of Roxas' 'surprise' party for the night before the Heartless were predicted to arrive, "Well I'll just be busy, k?" Sora failed to achieve a convincing voice.

"I see, well, in that case I'll be taking Kairi to the beach. You were on my guest list, but I guess you'd just be a party-pooper." Riku inwardly grinned as Sora forced a laugh, his eyes streaking across the rows to check for turned heads or pricked ears. His gaze fell upon Zexion, who was thoroughly absorbed in his book. Sora, already forgetting Riku, put on his best sneaky face and crept out of his chair. He slunk like a lynx behind Riku and perched begind the bookworm. Riku started to admire his fingernails. Before Sora could swipe the book, Zexion melded into darkness and reappeared behind the stealthed brunette. Zexion never got his chance to be cruel to Sora, as Riku lifted the bemused kid away and left him to thud into his chair. A surprised cry of alarm and enjoyment alerted Auron to the back rows existance once more. Riku and Zexion were sat bolt upright in their seats, Sora's feet though justted into the air from his new found home on the floor. He raised a hand in salutation of the bored teacher, then managed to crawl back into his chair.

It wasn't long before class ended and all the school went to their yeargroup tutor sessions. Sora and Roxas sat by Riku and Kairi to oneside, Axel adn Demyx recieved a wide berth in the middle of the tiered seats of the lecture theatre. Namine and Larxene pestered and fussed all over Marluxias hair as Zexion fell asleep. Bartz and Tidus were busy chasing each other around the room, flipping pointlessly over things and people. Then everyone shot to their seats as the door opened. Deathly silence filled the room as Sephiroth entered, striding adamantly to his desk. He deposited his books and turned to look at his charge. A steely shiver went through them all as he removed his sunglasses, his macho eyes glinting with promises of torture. They cowered each in turn as he swept his vision over the room, then he grabbed a chair, spun it round the wrong way and sat down on it, legs either side of its back, inches from Riku's nose.

"Good afternoon children. How was your morning?" Silence followed as his cutting-edge voice mentally beheaded the teenagers thought processes," You did nothing this morning?" Riku flinched from his fathers eyes boring into his own, nobody else spoke or moved," tis a shame, because I had the most wonderful mornig in a 3 hour long meeting with Dr Xemnas, Professor Ansem, the school Governors and the islands Mayor. You knwo why? Because they want me to organise you little treasures for the Heartless attack!I loathe this part time thing, but until I've dealt with some family issues," Riku face turned a whiter shade of pale," I'm stuck with you little darlings. So, if simply by existing you're going to ruin this fun for me, I'm gonna make it oh so enjoyable for you!" Sephiroth stood and reached the whiteboard in record time, the chair left spinning in front of the paralyzed Riku. Sephiroth started outlining the battle plan, whe after a while, Sora piped up enthusiasticly.

"Mr Sephiroth sir, where are me and Roxy-poo being put?" Roxas yanked Sora down and almost managed being annoyed with him. Sephiroth froze in his wonderful rant about military tactics which he had admittedly been enjoying. His eye began to twitch as he lowered his pen away from his freehand masterpiece of the island. 'Cloud, I ask of you one simple favour, and you can't even depress your own brother just SLIGHTLY!'

"Oh my, I appear ro have purposefully left you guys out Sora, you see, we have more than enough people for this, so we don't need you and that pretty bo- Roxas." Sephiroth didn't even turn to say this, but he tilted his head to catch the boys shocked eyes meeting and he noticed Roxas whimper slightly. 'I need you boys in reserve, we need a plan B. This horde is vast, I've seen it myself, and it'll probably take more than this lot to deal with it. And anyway, you 2 are renowned for being targets, especially for the leader, and I want him for myself!'

Chapter 15

With the preperations for the party all ready, Roxas decided he would go ahead with it. He and Sora would feel really weird being the ones throwing a party, but not actually being involved in the fight. It almost felt like they were saying farewell and didn't expect the others to return. But that wasn't the only thing inside that golden crowned head. For the dreaded yeargroup tutor session had not ended there. Oh no, Sephiroth had been interrupted again, this time by Dr Xemnas himself!

Sephiroth had managed to regain his momentum and was once again on another planet to the teenagers, when a knock on the door brought him crashing back down to earth.

"What?! I'm trying to teach in here!" Sephiroths tone was as black as night, his ethereal eyes glowering at the door. The door swung on it's smooth hinges silently to reveal Xemnas, whom Roxas thought looked fit to explode.

"Mr Gallagher, are you well, you look a little... flustered." Xemnas avoided spontaneous combustion by the skin of his teeth as he reined in his instinct to glomp or attack Sephiroth. His knuckles whitened as he clenched his fists. The General marched with metallic grace to the door and maintained his devillish smile.

"I'm perfectly fine thank you Mansex, now please, what is the purpose of this interruption?" Even Xemnas was thoroughly creeped out by the angel, his fury at the use of his nickname faded as he realised he was on the verge of infuriating the greatest swordsman in the world, who also happened to be a bit of a genocidal evil-doer.

"O-oh, ummmm... Well I... Sorry, yes, I have a new student for you!" The nobody thought he had found his ace card and escape route, but had infact brough Sephiroth the last thing he ever wanted. He also didn't realise that Sephy was planning a time to get Xemnas into his wine cellar, where he also kept masamune!  
'You mean I have to cope with another of these brats... for a whole year! God damn you Mansex, if you weren't so good in the bedroom I'd castrate you now!'

"Well, that's marvellous Principle, please, show him or her in!" Xemnas couldn't help squeeling with his lucky get away, earning him a startled, wide-eyed barrage of looks from everyone in earshot. He stepped aside to reveal his delivery.

Sephiroth was surprised by what he saw. He had been expecting another snivelling, stuck up, prancing nancy boy or something, but the adolescent before him was quite different. The rest of the class still couldn't see the newcomer round the door frame as it opened into the class. "And who might you be?" The warrior backed away slowly, disguising his unease by swerving round and planting himself on the edge of his desk. The young student flowed into the seminar room, his steps gracing the floorboards with more than just feline grace. His elegant steps kept him in smooth, controlled motion. His dress was dark yet regally flamboyant or noble. He wore an ornately designed Barons-coat edged adn designed with occult imagery and symbolism. His shirt hung lightly, but not from his shoulders. The coats collar was shaped such that much of his chest adn shoulders were visible, and the shirt seemed to instead hang from somwhere on his upper arms., his curved biceps and clear, yet sleek 6-pack were deiscernable as all his attire was tightly fitted to his slender frame. The clothes were black, but the designs and images were in red and silver. His hair was wild, 'unkempt', but styled to look as such. the tips of the wavey spikes of noir hair were a deep, burgundy red.

"Buon giorno tutto, I' la m. Alexander, ma io preferisce il Dante nome. Ah but forgive me, you do not likely speek my native language. 'Good day everyone, I'm Alexander, but I prefer the name Dante'." The boys onyx voice made Sephiroths sound like a large hammer striking a nail into a coffin. It didn't slice up your mind, but it made it reel with pheromones and Demyx in a slightly inebriated state fancied the chair next to him started crying in appreciation of the voice.

"Dante eh? Well, wlecome to Destiny Islands, I guess you're from Italy then." Sephiroths' attempts to sound like he gave a damn did nothing for the new kids confidence. The intros went slowly, his cool, controlled mannerism from his life in the orphanage fading quickly in front of those eagerly intent and curious faces.

"I'm mostly Italian, bit of English, I'm from an orphanage, so I don't know my family name." 'I can't do this, I can barely keep my body in check, this human visage is killing me!' Dante's paleness did nothing to worsen his perfectly symmetrical, sharp, refined features as Roxas gazed dumbstruck, like almost every other boy in the class.

"Why have you come here though? Bit far afield ain't it?" Larxene ignored the eyes of her peers and remained intent on an answer.

"I heard about this school, My 'adoptive parents' wanted to set me up in a nice atmosphere, basically they don't have the money or time to look after me, so they've made a deal with what-his-name... Mansex you called him? So yeah, I basically get free education..." Roxas was moved by this boys honesty, but was struck by his coolness in admitting to his background. His pity trebled as he realised this kid had never known his parents.

"But that's not fair, what happened to them!?" Sora tried to calm down the blonde but Roxas remained anguished on the other boys behalf. Sephiroth stepped in to preserve his own sanity.

"Now lets not prolong this tortu-I mean tutor session any longer than necessary. Dante, please, take the seat next to Roxas and please, don't encourage his boyfriend."

"Boyfriend!?" Dante's perfect control of his expression tripped, but Sephiroth noticed not fear, but gratitude in the boys eyes. Dante made his way to the back of the class.

"Mind your butt kid, Roxy can be a little forward." Demyx giggled along to Axel's teasings as Dante glided past. Axel grinned even more as he saw the boy was only hurt by the idea of already being teased. His fears however of a dreadful interrogation by the class were laid to rest as Sephiroths' iron fist once again loomed over Riku's head and the yeargroup fell into despair once more. Roxas smiled weakly at his new neighbour, offering hima toffee. Sora sort of meowed iin complain t, but he hugged Roxas and greeted the Italian with his signature kindness once he was also in posession of one of Roxas' mothers famous toffees. 'Nice kid, they make a cute couple.' Dante had to admit Sora won him over instantly.

"Welcome to the gang, but you gotta be cool, no being mean like Sephy!" Sora's warmth softened the Italian more than anything he had experianced before.

"I'll keep it in mind," The dark boy could tell hge would like it here," So... Are you guys busy later, cause I was thinking of setting up some more permanent residency than my car."

"You have a car!!!???" Roxas was unaware of foreign drving ages etc

"Yeah, nice old convertable. My question though..."

"Oh... well yeah you can set up shop in my house, We've got like 3 spare rooms, but I could get you a spare bed to go in my room! Oh, and I'd like to invite you to my party tomorrow... It's kinda got 2 purposes. My mum forgot to throw me a b-day party this year, so this is making up for it, adn it's also as a sorta good luck thing for our yeargroup before the Heartles-... oh..."

"Heartless... You got them too huh?"

"Yeah... Big problem, but we get by"

"Yaaah *snores*..." Sora slumped in his chair, his head resting on Roxas' shoulder.

"Nevermind him Dante, he's sexy when he ain't sleepy."

"I'm sure he is..."

"Hey, are you gay too then?" Roxas secretly was hopefull of the answer, he liked this boy, he was kinda sweet under his chilled personage.

"I never thought about it... I've not really been close to anybody, especially someone our age..." Roxas beamed at the sinister teen nonetheless, his own pains that he had been reminded of vanished as Dante started to smile back. 'Poor kid. I guess he doesn't know what it means to be loved'

Chapter 16

Sora and Roxas gave the Italiano a quick guided tour of the shadier side of the school, the smoking holes, the opium dens, the bushes perfect for sexual deviancy among other such refuges for self indulgence. Their conversation was one sided, the two lovers trying desperately as a team to as quickly as possible become the orphans friends. Their pity for him adn sadness only slighlty registered with his un-emotional mind, his own painful past meant he had never learnt what to say or do in order to be friendly. He however managed to satisfy his curiosity about the unusual nature of their yeargroup at school.

"So how come we got like 20 year olds in our class, I mean, I'm 16 and that pink haired dude looked easily 18."

"Oh Marly, yeah he's 20, his boyfriend Zexion is 19. Me and Roxy are 16 too! But ofcourse we're the same age, cause blondey here is my Nobody after all!"

"Nobody!... So you've got like... Darkness... control of the Heartless?"

"Used to, we're free from the dark now, all the Organisation members are! We still got our sick weapons and magic though!"

"What about you Sora? What powers have you got?"

"Well I'm the Keyblade Master, so I wield this!" Sora flashed Ultima weapon and did a quick flip attack up intoa nearby tree."

"Wow... acrobatic too" The pale boy was impressed, but he could do the same for some reason.

"Yeah, we're all kinda like... superhumans! But not stupidly so, we can be beaten, so we work as a team, hence the cover of our 'yeargroup'. Also, since I'm Sora's Heartless, my keyblades reflect his stongest memories, namely those about Kairi and Riku. Oh yeah, Kairi is the princess of Hearts for Radiant Garden, and Riku is Sora's best friend and used to be all Dark and shit." Roxas patted Sora lightly on the head in praise of his aerobatic display.

"Cool... I can't wait to see what I can do!" Dante lit up for a moment, his pale, artistic masterpiece of a visage glowing with enthusiasm for the first time in his life. "Who knows... maybe my parents will be avenged."

"I gonan ask... If you don't mind... What happened to them?" Roxas creesed up in fear of a bad reaction, but merely got a sigh in repsonse.

"... The Heartless attacked our world, set fire to the town adn my fathers home. He was the towns ruler, and the people loved him, but he couldn't save them..." Dante's solemn mood melted as Roxas wrapped him in his slender arms. Dante was horrified to find Roxas sobbing, Sora lookingat him with a terrible sorrow in his oceanic eyes. Dante's eyes wobbled, his lip trembling. He didn't know how to react, he'd never experienced genuine care or worry, and never such compassion from anyone, especialyl someone his age. He slowly lifted his frozen arms and rested them around the Nobodies shoulders, leanign his head against the other teens. A single harsh, broken whimper escaped his glossy lips.

"shhhhhh, it's ok... Don't worry, you're ok, we'll help you, we'll find out what you can d, adn we'll make those murderers pay!" Roxas began singing slowly to himself, a calm, soothing song from his childhood:

'In you and I, there' a new land  
Angels in flight  
My sanctuary, my sanctuary yeah  
Where fears and lies  
Melt awa-a-ay  
Music inside  
What's left of me, What's left of me now'

'I watch you, fast asleep,  
All I fear means nothing'

'My heart's a battleground  
You show me, how to see  
That nothing is whole  
And not a thing is broken'

'My fears, and My lies, Melt awa-a-ay!'

Dante broke down in this strange boys arms, his cold, unformed heart finally being showed the meaning of empathy. He would remember that song forever, and not even his very nature would take him away from his first friends ever."It's ok, You're home now." Roxas brushed his fingers through the emotionally newborn boys hair, continuing to sing the song, their song, Sora's song.

Chapter 17

The Party... Their entire year was invited along with a few of the younger school masters. Aerith and Yuffie arrived earlier in the day to help Roxas and Sora with the finishing touches. Candles littered the ground outside, a warm brazier burning by the hot tub. Strobing, fantastical lights had been installed throughout the house but mostly around the indoor pool and converted Ballroom. This had a complete glass wall on it's southern face looking out down the garden to a conservatory overlooking the beach. The outdoor pool was out of bounds and secured by two electric powered covers.

Dante was not inactive at this time. He spent much of the day helping Roxas pin up or hang streamers and various overtly flamboyant decorations, or he helped Sora and his recently returned brother unload food and drink of every sort from their parents car. Roxas' parents were away, his father on business and his mother was taking her good friend Mrs Osment to Tokyo for the weekend. The house was in the trustworthy hands of the Key of Destiny.

In a break from the frantic taks of the afternoon, as te sun started throwing orange rays over the few clouds in the sky, Sora took Roxas aside for a deep and meaningful conversation.

"Cute ain't he?" The cocoa head chimed as the pair cuddled behind a statue in the rock gardens.

"Adorable... I'm surprised how much he's changed in just one day. Think it might be our doing?" The sky-eyed nobody kissed his others hand as he purred his own praises.

"Teehee, I think he was always a sweet guy, he'd just never had someone to love or cherish since his parents died." Roxas rubbed noses with the unusually wise brunette, proud of his Darlings sincerity.

"Do you... Think we should... Include him?"

"In what?... oh... I don't know. I love you more than the world itself Roxas, but I guess he's been real nice to me."

"How so? Cause he's been great to me too! You first though dear."

"Well, when we were carrying stuff from the car with ym knuckleheaded brother, Dante carried almost everything in one. But then I tripped and almost bashed my nose on the gravel. He dropped all his bags and caught me, lifting me from my feet and sitting me softly on the steps. He said a beautifull boy like me shouldn't have to do any heavy lifting. He then picked up his bags and mine too and caught up with Cloud in seconds." The Chosen Ones eyes shone with gratitude, his own kindness clearly being noticed by the Italian.

"Awwwww, he is such a gentleman. At least his parents managed to teach him to be a good person in the little time they had. He held me up when I almost slipped off the banisters, holding me steady as I fixed up some Chinese lanterns. I hugged him in thanks, after which he looked very bashfull." Roxas also entered a dream like state of remembering the young, elegant hero saving him froma nasty accident. Both boys sighed contently as they imagined the teens warming smile and soothing silky voice.

"Scusilo signora, but is this a bad time? I have a questionfor you both." The mysterious boy had appeared from the blue, kneeling slightly as the couples side. The stunned youths recovered with the aid of his genuine eyes.

"Not at all, please fire away." Roxas backed up his friendly reassurance with a smile that could stop a raging bull, Sora giggling in his arms.

"I was wondering... If you guys would be cool with me being your friend. This must be the weirdest way friendship has ever been proposed, but I'm lost for words when it comes to you two. I've never met or even heard of such comapassionate people!"

"Seeing you smile in thanks is all the payment I need!" Sora's input added to the closeness that Roxas felt to the Italian as he realised Sora had the same thoughts and feelings for Dante. 'You think he's hot duhn you Sora? Well, I have to admit... He's the only person to ever match your body darling. And we may not of known him for long, but I feel like I've know him all my life.'

"Is it possible to truly cherish more than one person, to hold 2 people in highest regard in your heart?" Soras grin of understanding gave the party-thrower the final push he needed, "Is it possible that even after wso short a time, you can know a person inside out and love them? I know we just met yesterday, but I think I feel... love. I love Sora, but already you too. IK'm probably a fool, but... I would be honoured for you to be my friend."

"Me too!" You're the most caring guy I've met! Who cares if your a little cold in the extremities..." Dante's tear ridden eyes and overjoyed face waited keenly for the cute teen to finish,"I think you're hot!" What happened then involved the final and total transformation of Dante's soul, and both the other boys faffing and complimentig his thin, revelaing and stylish clothes. His mind was set on loving these two angels, but one can never deny the nature of ones own heart.

Chapter 18

The guests poured through the grand entrance of the mansion on the half hour grace period after the sun lit up the sky with a green flash. As the final pale light was sapped from the now cloudles sky, ans as evening marched on to the merry sound of men in the town, Twilight descended on Destiny Isles. The clock tower rang ominously, toning out the closing moments of the day. As the first cans and bottles of beer were cracked open int he kitchen, a certain Nobody qith hair the colour of golden sand, leant his slender frame upon the banisters of his master-bedrooms balcony. His liquid eyes strafed after 3 cars and a motorbike winding towards his home. 'Ah, the last lagging party-animals' mused the silent boy. The covoy held the Twilight Town gang, the Pannetiere family and Riku upon is personalised Racing Bike.

The teens peacefull deliberations were interruppted as his dream boy stepped up beside him. Sora's light earthy-brown hair was freshly spiked and clean, his breath smelt of mint chocolate and his aroma of sweet cocoa enveloped Roxas. The brunette was clothed in naught but one of his friends yellow towels, his crown pendant reflecting the pale light against his tan skin. Roxas reached out and stroked his unfurling finger along the blue-eyed youths collar bone, breathing in the heady scent of his lover.

"You look unbelievable love." The blondes whisper made it through the drumming beats of the kicking off party downstairs. Sora smiled, his perfect white teeth showing briefly. He also admired Roxas' form. He too had just finished in his grand, extravegant shower room and had only managed to slip on a pair of pink briefs. His swept, styled hair revealed his smooth, boyish features. His natural whiteness made him seem more divine than of woman born.  
His slimmer, more tender build stood in stark clarity to the tanned, but still slim boy next to him. The boy with hair that looked worth diamonds, leant over to the other boy. Their bodies met, his 'x' pendant gently pressed against Sora's royal emblem. Roxas brushed his soft, moist lips against his other halfs. Sora opened his burning mouth, the smell of Roxas's caramel toothpaste erupting his taste buds and imprinting on his senses. Sora welcomed the kiss to come, embracing Roxas and pulling him closer, as if tryign to force the Nobody back inside him. Roxas plunged deep into the brunettes hot mouth, their muscles wrapping together inside Sora's hot head. The Twilight youths naked limbs entwined with his somebody's, his hands resting on Sora's rear and neck, his long dainty fingers stroking the boys perfect cheeks.

The making out lasted the good 5 minutes till the convoy arrived to blaring riffs and Rikus revving engine. He dsimountes his pride and joy, then proceeded to help the previously hidden Kairi off her steed. Roxas got up off of Sora and offered a hand to the passionate teen to lift him from his repose on the cold flagstones.  
They hurried into Roxas' room to dress in their prepicked outfits. Sora wore his favourite hooded jacket without the usual undershirt, this time with the mysterious silver and black colour combo. He wore matching tight almost Hot pant versions of the matching pants. He sid on a regular pair of cheap trainers without socks and slid on his favourite ring. It was Roxas cross on a simple silver band. It was from Riku to say he fully supported his and Roxas' relationship.

Roxas wora a short-sleeve shirt with only one button done up. The shirt was black with golden roses and thorns woven into it. He pulled on a pair of thin, skin tight black jeans and went barefoot out of his room. His own jewellry thrown on as he rushed to greet hsi guests. Sora sped after him. As Roxas turned the corner in the huge double staircase that led off to the east and west wings of the house, Sora tripped and fell forward, his clumsiness giving him the chance to glomp Roxas. Dante was already there to steady the couple and calming Roxas' breathing.

"It's just.. phew... Everything has t be perfect, i can't mess this up!" The other two helped the flushed teen to the bottom of the staricase. Roxas swept aside his hair, straightened his clothes, twisted his crown ring till it was comfortable. He bent his head to whisper in Sora's ear, "this is all for you, my love." The brunette's eyes lit up with the light of reflected candles, his passion overflowing in a single tear, which Roxas wiped away with a tender smooch. the blonde palyed the good host willingly, spending the next half hour ushering and calling, reminiscing and taking drinks orders, leading people to the pool for shits and giggles and generally being the life and soul of the party. Everyone complimented his hair, his clothes, the job he and the girls had done on the place and many slipped in a word or two about how good Sora looked framed by soflty flickering candles.

"He's marvellous isn't he?" Sora's question went unanswered until the enigma stepped out from the shadow.

"He is... You are lucky to have him Sora, and he you." Dante's mercurial voice slid around the innocent boy.

"You're too kind Dante." The Italian's warmth faded at this.

"Am I...? I am jealous of you two... You have true affection. I feel I've known you froever... Yet I have forgotten even my own parents. Why is it I seem to see you as a long lost friend or brother...?"

"I understand..."

"Do you? Really? How can you... I feel incomplete, like a big hole is ever present in my chest. I feel cold, fake, part human. I've lost a part of myself, I just don't know where it fell... But I have a theory, and I need your help to prove it."

"Sure, I'll help you anyway i can!"

"You are free completely to say no at any point... Sora... Please, hold me." Sora's eyes widened as his thoughts blared warning in his head. 'Shit, being so close to him, I'm gonna flip and kiss him, he's so beautifull... My god, where did he get those clothes, they're gorgeous!' Dante was wearing very slim fitting 'torn-denim-shorts' in deep noir with silver chains hanging and looping around the belt and drooping from one of the pockets. His belt buckle was a gunmetal skull with a broken heart shaped by rubies in its forehead. His shirt was partially transparent, a deep, nearly black purple that hung around his upper arms rather than sat on his shoulders. the sleeves were tight till hsi wrists, were they turned into loose strips of the pretty fabric. A pendant was visible around his neck on a silver chain. The emblem was the dreaded Heartless mark. Sora was intoxicated by the boys beauty, the muscled, flawless limbs, the pale, stainless face, the burning... Crimson eyes? Sora wrapped himself around the Italian, quickly adapting to cradle the teen as Dante broke down in his arms. He hushed the boy and promised him it was ok, that eh adn Roxy were here ofr him and that they would care for him.

"Our homes are now your homes too Dante, think of that! You can come adn live with either me or Roxas whenever you want! And I'll be sleeping here alot, so you can get us both, so we ca have a great time together, us, just us, the three of us alone to enjoy eachothers company. Shhhhh... I'm here sweet." Sora began singing their song, his less practised voice still managed to achieve the same affect as Roxas'. Soon the disco had died down temporarily to listen to the haunting, yet heart warming lyrics that had so punctualised their lives since Sora and Roxas had been together. As the final chorus ended, the aforementioned Nobody appeared at the pairs side, hugging both boys as the party re-started to give them their privacy, Axel performing his famous 'funky gibbon' dance to get things going.

"Come on guys, lets go to the hot tub together."

Chapter 19

The trio made their way through the press of adolescentants, making excuses adn pardons as they barged through the parties ecstatic atmosphere. Dante couldn't stop blushing as Sora kept complimenting his hair and eyes, saying he had never thought the colour red would be anything but menacing, yet here it was drawing in the smiling teens heart. Roxas proved a skilled talker and managed to divert even Axels' curiosity by on the spot making up a poetic description of Demyx by the pool slightly drunk with next to no clothes on. The boys finally made it outside into the frigid night air, dozens of little wishing candles glimmering on the sloped lawn ahead of them. Roxas took a second to light the warming barzier standing by, then he lead the others to the small changing room around the corner. They stored their clothes for later in racks over the wooden benches, then Sora slid intot he loo to put on his well-remembered pair of swimming trunk. Dante averted his boiling eyes as Roxas began stripping down to his briefs, before taking those off too, and then picking out a sleek pair of speedo shorts from a nearby locker, he covered his cherub cheeks.

"You got any swimming stuff Dante?" asked the sunny teen.

"Nah, I've got nothing for any kinda summer activity, never mind swimming." Roxas nodded his head knowingly, quickly fetching Dante a modest pair of black trunks before the teen thought too deeply into his lack of fitting clothing. Sora returned glowing with charm and the three returned to the hot tub. The fire burned and glowered, reflected in Dante's eyes as the other two began larking about, Sora pushing Roxas gently into the steaming water. The dancing shadows behind the dark boy gave his slim countenance and form a twisted background, his burgundy eyes full of desire. He stepped slowly and with measured control towards the inviting liquid. Only Roxas noticed as he took off the sinister pendant that a great weight seemed to be lifted from his face, but his shadow seemed even less human, as though great wings sprouted from Dante's smooth, pale shoulderblades. Roxas' eyes snapped back to the boys face as he smiled with genuine kindness and allowed Sora to drag him playfully into the water. The three spent a while splashing eachother cheekily and joking about their exploits and adventures before life sttled down ont he Islands. Dante sat with rapt attention in the Nobodies cosy arms as Sora attempted to re-enact the events of his many visits to the other worlds. His giggles of mirth and gasps of awe caused Roxas fresh heart to beat with passion as the enchanting enigma in his arms became more and more cuddly and young, as though his foced adulthood and self-dependance was slewing away to reveal the real, still mature, but far more affectionate soul.

"Wow... Sora, you've been everywhere! I passed some of those worlds on ym way here, and I always thought what it would be like to drop in for a spell!"

"Hey that reminds me... How did you get here?"

"Ummmmm... Well, I don't really know, I remember passing worlds of all sizes and shapes, seeing great things in the sky around me, but I can't remember how I was moving or what I was riding, if anything..." Roxas knew the feeling, it was similiar to the sensations one felt if a Nobody or similiar dark soul used a black door, the passageways used by the Organisation.

"Sounds like you were sent here, rather than chose to come."

"I'm not unhappy even if that is the case... Here is better than there for sure, and this feels like heaven to me!" Sora was hardl surprised, he too felt like he was safe and in true harmony when he was in Roxas calming grip.

"So... Dante... I mentioned that I felt more than just friendship for you..."

"mmmhmm Roxy, I remember."

"Well I uh... really like you... alot... Sora knows what I mean." Roxas blushed until he saw the predatorial fire in Sora's eyes. He realised he must of had the same fever in his own sea spheres as Sora licked his lips and slipped slightly closer to the cuddling pair, laying his soft hand on the Italians knee beneath the gently bubbling water," I like you as much as I like Sora!" Roxas lowered his mouth to the Italians ear, licking the lobe softly before whispering, his voice full of his till now restrained lust," I think Sora likes you too."

"Ummmmm... I don't know what to say," Roxas slowly lifted the teen enough for Sora to slide his legs in between their own, his hadns then slidng over the Nobody and his prizes chests," I've never done anything before!"

"Then let me show you the basic steps." growled Sora, his usually cute voice tinged with broiling desire.

"I don't know how to love!" Cried the passion infused mystery.

"Then allow us to teach you." Purred Roxas as he drove his hips upwards to rub all three of their bodies together. Dante moaned loudly as his groin pressed against that of the brunette in front of him. He carefully lifted his own arms as Sora clung to him with animalistic wanting, his bulging passion stirring the silent boys virgin body into action. ROxas too was already beginning to heat up, his hands exploring the new, untouched territory he and Sora were being allowed to conquer. Deep inside, Dante was torn. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, that he might ruin Sora and Roxas' own relationship, that they were acting too soon, theat he was not enough for them, but simply by whispering sweet encouragements and promises like honey in hsi ears, the couple managed to loosen up the fearful teen enough to get Sora's hand in his trunks. As the Keyblade Warrior massaged his smooth, hairless behind, Dante leant to the side to allow Roxas to lean over his shoulder to reach his face. The trio kissed together, their lips passing over eachothers constantly, their tongues questing out every which where of the other twos entrances. Roxas' own swim wear was soon floating away in the bubbly tide, quickly followed by those of the brunette. The steadfast lovers embraced the italian, caressing and sensing every inch of his body. Their hands and fingers curled and rolled over the unspoiled skin, occasionaly meeting nad forming bonds around their prize. Dante however was resolute not to be completely subserviant, pushing furiously inside Sora's welcoming mouth. Roxas happily began sucking and lighlty gnawing on his new found lovers succulent flesh, his teeth grazing the perfect white lightly as a mark of compassion. It wasn't long before Dante too lost his only vestment.

"Take me, please! I don't understand how you can love me too, but I want you both with me in every way!" The honesty of the statement fired up the relevant boys enough to make Sora grasp Dante's now fully erect, arousingly curved length. Roxas' own meat was forced between the pale boys thighs, earning pleasured groans from the Nobody as Sora shifted and wriggled and pushed back and forward on top of Dante, his hand playing with both of the others shafts. Soon though, Dante took events into his own, and lay Sora down on his back, his superior strength now clear, but not frightening for the pair as Sora wrapped his legs up and around the italians back. Roxas lay down beside them, his hands feeling adn tantalising every sensitive part of their teenage bodies. Dante then began sliding down Sora's torso, his mouth leaving small marks as it passed down the tan chest and abdomen, his tongue having stopped off at the cocoa boys nipples and navel, tingling erupting in Sora head as every part of his body was aroused. Dante eventually reached the forbidden fruit, his tongue resting and twirling slowly on the unhooded end. His fingers caressed Sora's sack and thighs, his mouth beginning to cover and be filled with his entire length. Roxas pulled his darling, their heads filled with fire as Dante then took Roxas' member in hand too, swapping his passionate mouth-work between the twin 7 inch tools. Sora's less experianced body erupted, his seed caught in the boys loving mouth. Roxas eased his love-making on the brunette to allow him to regain his breath, instead rounding on Dante, lifting the boys legs up onto his shoulders.

"You've never been entered have you?" Roxas regained some control before he went too far, his concern for Datne clear as crystal. Dante shook his head, but his eyes made obvious that he'd always wondered what that would be like too. Sora grinned in approval and began massaging the italians stiff protrusion. Roxas tested the teen first with his fingers, one, then two of his didgits working circles inside the virgin. Dante was glad now on the bright side that his abused youth had given him strength, and that he felt little pain from the new experience. After scissoring his fingers briefly, Roxas felt confident enough to insert his meat. Dante winced as the curved flesh spread his behind wide, his prostate flaring with ecstasy at the first touch of the sensitive head," Jesus, he's tighter than you Sora!" Roxas didn't regret saying that, as it convinced Sora he could somehow show Dante what Roxas meant by mounting the italian and sliding that un-used tool into his own behind. Roxas couldn't hold it for very long as he was at the bottom of a jenga like scene, Dante's length being gripped and rubbed by the brunettes golden cheeks as his ass was ploughed by the Nobody. Dante climaxed twice in about 5 minutes, first when Roxas released inside him, then again when Sora overflowed from both the other boys hands playing with his genitals and Dante still inside him. The lovers stayed together in the hot tub for another hour, Roxas being made to orgasm again when both of the others went under water to get their mouthfulls of his flesh. The party burned into the night, the trio at it's heart, their first public appearance as a group didn't surprise anyone, they all somehow felt it wa sinevitable, most of them thought it was right. But one or two had their doubts of whether this was a good idea.

Chapter 20

The organisation and all the other defenders of the light were lined up on the beach and cliffs at the edge of the world. they could the the End of the World approching, the vast black-hole like planetoid used by the Heartless to invade the largest of worlds. The air crackled with the conflicting elements used by the arrayed nobodies, former enemies stood side by side as even the high cliffs jutted forth as though in defiance of invasion. Dante was stood in the centre, Xemnas a few steps behind him, intently watching the wraith-like boy. A blast of energy and pillat of light announced the arrival of the one-winged-angel. Sephiroth quickly ordered the line into order and turned to face the approaching menace.

"Stay behind me boy, until we find some sort of stimulation to unlock your power, just watch and learn." The General summoned Masamune to his hands, green flame surrounding the katana as he struck left and right with a one handed grip, his strength clearly still inhuman. Dante now understood why the silver-haired leader was in charge, and why, looking around at his new friends, he knew the reason this world was still in one piece. The group stood silent for a few minutes, the darkness creeping ever closer. Soon more relaxed members started fidgeting, Axel spinning his chakrams and burning twigs, Demyx strumming a David Bowie track as other general disorder followed suit. Sephiroth and the superior, along with Saix, remained steadfast.

Dante however soon felt an unnatural cold beneath his feet, hsi unease growing as the sickly light at the centre of the black-hole neared. He suddenl felt a shudder pass through him, his vision blurring as a nostalgic murmur droned in his head.

"The closer to the Light you go, the stronger your Darkness will become" Dante regained clarity, his eyes snapping down to the floor. His long-coat and high collar gave his shadows a sinister, mysterious form. Soon though he noticed the shadow was moving differantly to himself. It was gettting darker, till finally it was no longer possible to see the grains of sand through the oily blackness. Twin rays of yellow, ghoulish light appeared in the crown of the shadow, the arms of the two dimensional form rising impossibly away from the floor. Soon Dante found himself facing a perfect shadow replica of himself. He felt like he was drowning in those hungry eyes, unaware that the creature was sill changing shape. Xemnas recoiled as he noticed the haunting occurance, his golden eyes burning with recognition. 'That's the thing that the Key of Destiny felt so relaxed around!'

"Seph... Sephiroth? Ummmmm they're already here!" Dante saw then what shape the fiend had taken. It was Sora, but all the colours had been replaced by wisps of shadow and dreadful tendrils of evil erupted from various parts of the Heartless. The Darkside raised its hand, reachign for the pale boy, however after a sudden flash and the sound of a blade cutting through air, the Heartless looked down at its' chest, a burning silver blade potruding sever feet from where it's heart should've been. Sephiroth twisted masamune from his position about 3 metres behind the Heartless, the long blade turning effortlessly through the dark figgures torso. With a flick and final decapitating blow, the angel banished the fiend. Dante nodded his thanks, still stunned by the unusual turn of events.

"Don't do that again." Sephiroth rounded on the confused boy, his macho eyes furious.

"What? I didn't do anything!" The terrified European cowered from the anger ridden man. Sephiroth sighed frustratingly and marched off towards the Darkness. The other warriors followed still in line, on their toes again after the event with Dante. Seconds later, hundreds of Shadows swerved and massed forth from the void, sliding without depth towards the line. Soon more powerful 'Emblem' Heartless began pouring from the edge, hunger glowing in ever pair of spectral orbs. With a unified shout of exhiliration and blood-lust, the line jumped forward, each member becoming a lone army. Beams of pure void shot out through the massing dark, flaming cartwheels dancing around aqua forms of warriors, electrified knives fanning in every direction. Riku and Kairi fought back to back, already deep behind the enemy front line as the Heartless filled the entire vast bay. The Way to the Dawn flashed in vilent circles as the silver fighter smiled at the thrill of battle. Nobody knew how he did it, but Zexions Lexicon left nothing but crumbling, pained forms behind him as the emotional nobody advanced casually. Vexen froze enemies that were then shattered by the strong arm and Tomahawk of Lexaeus. Soon the entire beach was a riot of seperate combat, and even the air had its fair share of fighting as airborne Heartless were struck from the sky by gunblade rounds or magic. Namine drew cages and manacles around her foes, her powerful magic even finding use on the battlefield. With Sephiroth off carving up a giatn Behemoth, Dante was left alone in the heart of the chaos, his only protection the watchful eye of the Superior. Soon though, he started noticing patterns in the Heartless' movements. They would draw the others away to the sides of the bay, then come crashing inwards towards the centre and him. Xemnas also noticed this and glided down from his ethereal perch to be at the heart of the action.

"Fairing alright there boy?"

"I guess so... I'm not sure what I'm meant to do though, what could trigger me?"

"Could be anything... Demyx was triggered by a live David Bowie performance I seem to recall... Xigbar from the movie Sniper 2... Kepp trying out stuff!" The superior flew off into a mass of bemused looking Air Pirates, lasers spraying around the dawn light. Dante turned to stare at the void again, his crimson eyes scanning the End. Soon he felt the security of his friends fade as they all got pressed closer up against the cliffs by the immense press of Heartless. He suddenly felt completely helpess surrnouded on all sides by staring yellows circles and black, crooked bodies. He barely held back a scream as dozens of Heartless fell upon him, he could feel his heart straining against the foul magic trying to prise it out of his white chest. As the last tethers holding his heart snapped, the Heartless recoiled. Dante froze, unsure what had just happened. He looked down at his now bare chest, his coat lying in tatters on the floor. A large black and red hearts with jagged lines and a star-like bottom was emblazoned on his fair skin, it wasn't like a tattoo, the flesh was literally replaced by the Darkness. He poked the Heartless emblem on his own body, his identical pendant still around his neck. He looked up to gaze straight into the eyes of fully a half of the Organisation and Sephiroth, all in a very anti-Heartless mood.

"What the hell just happened to me?" Dante looked from face to face, searching for even just the slightest look of understanding. Not one of the Nobodies knew how this was possible, and Zexion stepped forward to say what they were all thinking.

"You... you should be dead... or not... humanoid, you should be like them!" Zexion gestured at the reduced number of Heartless held back by the other nobodies and adventurers. Dante's confusion spiralled out of control. 'I can't be a Heartless! I... I still feel whole... is still feel the same... I still... feel for them...' Thinking of Sora and Roxas at that moment triggered something inside the Darkness, it stirred deep inside Dante and began to surface. His eyes began to burn and glow as though a great infernoe filled his head. His skin became utterly flawless, his athletic muscles shifting to a haunted perfection. He felt sickening knots of muscle and flesh twisting around his shoulder blades as though something was trying to tear free. A scream like a dozen agonized voices ripped from his throat as he bent over clenching his stomach and reachign round to lightly touch the churning skin on his back. He knelt, leanign over as a pained groan vibrated his breaking and reforming bones. His ribs shifted and his spined reconfigured to allow for more wieght, muscle cells reproducing madly in preparation for an all new arduous task.

He screamed again, his body convulsing as a blood covered pair of black and red, blade-tipped angelic wings clawed out of his perfected body. Darkness and Heartless swarmed around him, the shadows clinging to him like toddlers to a loving parent. He rose slowly, his right hand craddling his head, the other hanging limply at his side. He raised his head, his hair now concealing his left eye as he removed his hand. His eyes seemed to roar with hatred as his great wings stretched and beat the air oce in practise. He shook the blood from his new limbs, the wine already seeping back into the healing ruptures around the base of the wings.

One of the Heartless crept up to his shoulder, and even as a cruel looking keyblade with demonic wings forming the handle guards and blade. A Heartless emblem formed the focus of the weapons bladed head, he shaft was segmented into diamonds of ebony. The Shadow leant towards the crying boys ear and spoke with the voice of a slave.

"We have come for you, my liege."

Chapter 21

As the Heartless surged forward in their greatest numbers yet, the islands defenders began a fightin retreat. Word was sent by chocobo to the Keyblade wielders to come and help re-establish a defensive line. Sephiroth displayed his uncontestable skills as a swordsman, banishing dozens of Heartless with every revolution of Masamune. 'Damn that Heartless, he took human form so he could infiltrate us and discover our organisation and defences!' Sephiroth felt he had been outsmarted, and not even the Cloaked Schemer had managed that.

"General, might I suggest a tactical withdrawal to Sunset Terrace. We're exhausted and in need of the supplies on the train." The afore mentioned bookworm strode towards the commander, backed up by the rest of the warriors. Sephiroth considered his options. 'Stay and fight and lose far too many of them to ever hope to survive future battles... Or regroup and refortify the ruins of Sunset Terrace, hell, maybe those two bishounen might actually do something usefull!' The silver-haired SOLDIER nodded the affirmative before cutting Masamune in a wide arc, releasing a shockwave that pushed the Heartless back to the waters edge.

Soon the party arrived at Sunset Terrace. The area had been desolated in a previous invasion but now formed a strong wall to protect the rest of the now prosperous island. The group settled in the ruined station, shouting for joy when the rickety old train slammed through some fallen rubble, Sora's cheery grin visible in the pilots cockpit. Roxas hang onto the side of the train, opening the doors of the carriage before it stopped moving. He then clambered inside and started throwing bags of food and drink out to the greedy mob beyond.

"Good timing boys, now Demyx will brief you on events." The Superior strode off before Demyx could complain.

"Boy, does he know how to pick the wrong guy... Hello!" Sora went along with the water-boys cheery approach, but Roxas carried on unloading the train. Riku and Axel were arguin over the appearance of Cloud and Riku's bikes as they were being lifted off the carriage.

"I think it looks liek a puma." Decided the pyro.

"What in Sam-Hell is a puma?" retorted the 'blind' warrior.

"You know... it's like a big cat."

"... You're making that up." The pair stood glaring at eachother till Axel turned to RIku's bike, 'Dawnbreaker,' and said;

"That one's like a walrus!"

"Didn't I just tell you to stop making up animals!?"

Larxene was busy explaining to Lexeaus and Vexen about hand to hand combat;

"There's just not enough time in this busy world to show everyone the courtesy of a good strangling." Larxene concluded with a resigned sigh. Vexen suggested that dropping a nuke from 50 thousand feet would also be totally acceptable, at which point Xion stubbed her toe and Xaldin had to fuss over his daughter for the tenth time that day.

"Kids... they'll find the one rock in a padded room and hurt themselves with it."

"And it's always when you're doing something important like sitting down!" concurred the inebriated Gambler of Fate. The warm atmosphere of the pause in combat was put on however simply to stop Sora and Roxas finding out too early about the unfortunate fate of their new love interest. Finally though, the blonde called out over Demyx's briefing in a worried tone;

"Hey... where's Dante? Guys? He's alright ain't he?" Silence clung to every mouth as Roxas' eyes searched every face for confirmation of his hopes. He began to breathe heavily as all the worst possibilities ran through his head.

"Come on ladies this ain't no ice cream social!" Xigbars voice was coming from the station balcony-platform overlooking the recline that led back to the bay. The others rushed up besie the sharpshooter, most gasping in awe, Marluxia hyperventilating and requiring fanning from Larxene and Xion. The teenagers and their mentors stared in mixed fear and the odd impressed nod at the heaving mass of Heartless pouring out of the bay and ascending the steep hill.

"Where is he, where is the traitor?!" spat Saix as his usual cold command slipped to reveal his hatred of betrayal.

"Why I am here among you my friends," came the giggling, worryingly psychotic reply. The voice sounding like many speeking in unison, but it sounded strained, as though struggling against another will attempting to control the same thing. It then slipped to another single voice they vaguely recognised," I never left you," the party then fanned out to find the source of the echoing intonations, weapons drawn ready for a surprise attack. "Remember my friends, the closer to the light you are..."

"The stronger your shadow becomes." Sora finished the hallowed warning in a tearful whisper. His eyes scannign the side platforms and corridors for what he feared to be the truth. He passed a tall, grand broken window, light fromt he setting streaming in and lighting up the plain white walls. He saw a movement like a ghost flitting past their haunt. He approached the place where the light struck the wall. Due to the slumped walls of the building and the angle of the sun, the column of light was crooked, the few remaining cross bars in the window adding to the creepy image. Sora reached a hand to touch the wall, his shadow doing as it should and meeting his hand there. He stood like this for a moment, his worries seeming to fade. He turned and instead stared at the sun, his lips parting as he wordlessly spoke, "Dante..."

"I'll neverr leave you Sora." Came the barely controlled response. Sora's eyes lit up as he looked left and right for his friend. His shadow however remained stock still. He turned to look at it, waving his amr to test if it was still responding. The shadow seemed to sigh, its shoulder rising and falling before what looked like wings sprouted from the two dimensional form. The shadow moved its ahdn as though trying to reach out, then as Dark energy began surrounding it in ghoulish wisps and bolts of red electricity, the dark figure steppd off the wall and gained the third dimension from pure darkness. Sora staggered back, his hand cutting on the jagged glass ont he window sill as he backed up against the wall. The pure black body began almost bubbling, the void like darkness retreating from pale flesh as though a butterfly were breaking from its cocoon. Sora found himself staring at the now clothing-less Dante, his eyes drawn to every part of his recognisable face, his superior body and the great black and crimson feathers of the boys new limbs. His eyes opening as the moon eclipsed the already dim sun, the corridor blazing with the hellish ruby light of the Heartless' eyes. Sora's tear stained face paled in sorrow and fear as the depressed teen before him jerked with un-natural motion as the animalistic psychopath now inplanted in his mind tried to influence his body.

"How?... you're... not whole anymore..."

"I have never felt more whole... and I am not your regular Heartless... I am not one of those fragments made byt hat fool Ansem! No... I am of far purer blood." The maniac inside was clearly in control right now as the Italian accent was replaced by high-pitched giggles and sadistic chuckles.

"So... are you still in there, are you still the boy I can't stop wanting?" The Chosen one summoned Ultima Weapon as he adopted his comfortable fighting stance.

"I am still here! No he isn't, it's all us now Sor- No I still like you! Silence pathetic boy, you were nothing but a tool to get this body ready for our insertion! I can't believe that, I am not under anyones control, I am free! You are a pawn like all the others mortal, we are the host sentiance of this body now!" Sora stared in horror as his friend had a schitsophrenic argument with an unknown enemy inside him. The other party members had found them now and watched the morbid scene unfold. Only Xemnas wore a look of intent, his lips working in some memorisation method. "I don't want to fade away, I found real life, I found a real life for em to live! You never had a life, no family, nothing, you were made int he depths of Darkness by Kingdom Hearts itself! Then... who am I?"

"You are Sora's Heartless given its own pure Heart of Drakness." Xemnas stood with his void-blades poised to execute the jabbering boy.

Chapter 22

Xemnas restrained the Heartless, barriers of void energy constricting the boys wings and arms. Many of the others shook their heads or concealed tears before leaping to get the other shadows under control again. Sora and Roxas remained along with Namine, Axel and Saix.

"Superior, we should execute their leader now, for his betrayal, and becasue he's a Heartless! He is our enemy!" The Luna Diviner contained his hatred of the Heartless just barely as he stood defying the Superiors decison to spare Dante thus far. Xemnas turned to face the other faces, each full of different desires concerning the boys fate.

"If I might make something of a suggestion, perhaps it should be left up to Sora and Roxas... He is... well part of them." The Flurry of Dancing Flames again proved he truly had earned his new heart.

"Wait, surely though we can't all exist at once though?" Roxas managed a coherent sentence after mumbling for a few seconds.

"You are an exception to the rule, Roxas," Ansem the Wise stepped from a corridor of darkness, he was wearing his attire from when he lived as the being known in full as the Darkness in Zero," When Sora willingly freed his own heart, Kairi's pure heart was freed aswell. Hence why Kairi was restored and Namine left as something not even achieving the level of existance of a Nobody. Sora became a Heartless and you Roxas, due to Sora's strength, were born and retained a human image. However Sora only remained as a shadow for a short time before he used Kairi's heart to rebuild his human body. His heart and soul were restored. But since his old body was not used, and due to the breifness of his time as a Heartless you retained your existance but lost your memories of Sora," Axel yawned and leant on a wall, having heard this similiar speach from Xemnas before about how special Roxas and Namine were," So Sora left behind his body, and a fragment of his soul, that is, his sorrow, whihc is what your new heart was loosely based on, but it is now complete. A similiar thing occured at the Dark Meridian between Riku and Sora, this left behind Sora's-"

"Anger... I know... Dante spoke told me... in a dream, or not realyl a dream, he kinda teleported me to the Dark Meridian for a chat."

"Interesting... and the fact Dante doesn't remember this could eb an echo of the fact that since his piece of the puzzle was still largely missing when Namine restored Sora's memories with your help Roxas, Dante lost his memories when he left the World of Darkness... purely speculation but it's plausible..." Ansem frowned in contemplation until Xemnas kicked Axel awake.

"So you're saying that if we kill the Darkness in Sora, he'll never be complete?"

"But surely then even now, he is missing the pieces inside Roxas and Dante?" Axel again tried to engage the intellecutal conversation.

"Well, it would seem... that Sora now has a pure heart, like Prince of Hearts as it where. He is the light, Dante the unfading Dark and Roxas the literal Twilight between." No-one apart fromt he 3 boys in question really understood, but they pretended to nod in agreement.

"It's strange... Since we first saw you I knew the whole thing about your family couldn't be true... it didn't sound like i had really happened, as though you were struggling to believe it yourself... And this might explain why me and Roxas liked you fromt he start the same we did with eachother... You're a part of us!" Saix strode off in a huff, grumbling about excuses and Xemnas having a Heartless fetish, Ansem congratualted Sora on a moment of clarity while Axel and Roxas helped Dante to his feet.

"But what do we do about the other sentience... and where did it come from?"

"I can help you with that." They all turned in surprise at the sound of a friendyl but smart voice. Sora laughed and rushed to hug the King, spinning Mickey in the air before laying him down and hugging him again.

"Your majesty, it's wonderful to see you again." The former ruler of Radiant Garden shook hands with his great old friend.

"And you Ansem, but back to what we were all talking about. Roxas, Sora, I your help with this. Right place your keyblades together, pointing at Dante, right, hold them up straight like you have before... there!" A light began to sparkle at the end of the Ultimate Weapon, Oblivion and Oathkeeper glowing in opposite colours. Mickey then added his reverse-coloured Kingdom Key to the task, an unusual dark aura surrounding the Dark Realms keybalde. Dante squinted his eyes in pain, the light burning not him but something inside. His wings curled up around him against his will as he struggled to help as best he could by making his body as unobstucted as possible. The collective sentience that infested his heart screamed through his throat, trying to claw at him with his own hands. Xemnas produced new bonds to hold Dante in place as the keyblades each shot a beam of their inherent power into the Heartless emblem on the teenagers bare chest. Everyone shielded their eyes as Dante's heart was exposed, a mixture of the light of his soul and the energy that ahd just been added and the pure evil of his power and the nfection warping around him. The magic of the Keybaldes soon forced the invasive Heartless out of Dante, his freed heart and soul returning to his peaceful looking form.

A few minutes later and the Heartless had been defeated. With the failure of their plan to manipulate Dante, they lost much of their conviction to fight the mighty Organisation and their comrades. With the last remaining neo-shadows dispatched by Xaldins spears, focus returned to the unconcious Italian. Sora held him where he had caught him, as he had began levitating during the heart-cleansing process. Roxas too knealt by his friends side, his watery eyes looking up to King Mickey.

"Will he be alright? Is he still our friend, can we... still love him safely?"

"He is a real person now, any hint of fragmentation has been resolved. He may be a being born of pure evil, but his soul is what matters wehn it comes to his thoughts and personality, and that had not changed from when he thought he was an Italian orphan instead of a perfected Heartless,"Mickey smiled genuinely which lifted the spirits of everyone else from the highly dragged out and confusing events that had just occurred," And besides, you can ask him yourself if he still likes you." Roxas and Sora looked at eachother, their hands meeting and linking as they smiled confidently together before leaning down to whisper together in Dante's ears;

"Will you come live with us?"

Chapter 23

After the Heartless had been forced back from the world and the One-winged-Angel had obliterated their method of transport, the motley army had returned to normal school life. That is, except for the Keyblade master and his 2 fragments. Dante had needed immediate medical attention to deal with blood loss, potential brain damage and bone damage. Except for the immense drop in blood pressure, he made a quick recovery, his body now permanently settled in its perfection save for the raven-wings, which he could recall whenever they were needed. Sora and Roxas didn't leave his side for the 24 hours he was comatose, and they rarely were out of his sight or not holding him afterwards for a whole week. They were paranoid that anyone could judge their friend purely on his physical nature rather than the same mind and heart they had all kinda liked before. The other pupils at school who all knew about the Heartless, just not theat their classamates were super-powered warriors, all had their theories about the new kid, but none of them explained the devotion that Sora and his Nobody were showing.

Ofcourse, the events at the train sation had left their mark on everyone. Axel boasted almost openly of his victories in the battle, attention lover that he was, but whenever the questions came down to Dante, he respectfully ended the conversation. The teachers involved showed a form of favouratism to the Heartless, not because they thought him better, but because they wanted him to feel that he was still a respected pupil. He spoke in private to many of his teahcers saying that he was touched and accepted their offers of friendship, but that he didn't want any more attention drawn to him, and being the teachers favourites was very detrimental. But of course the biggest differance after the Heartless attack was that Dante moved to live in Roxas house. He set up his few belongings in onw of the vast, undecorated guest rooms. Roxas came in to check up on him ont heir first night back from the hospital and immediately went about taking the rooms measurements and asking Dante what kind of theme he wanted for his room.

"Theme? Like, theme-tune?"

"No silly, I mean decorations! It's damned bland and cold in here, you need some nice drapes instead of those tacky blinds, a proper 4-poster bed, I cna turn that unused room into a walk-in-wardrobe, we can get you a custom design for that en-suite you got and of course, it's totally up to you what colours we use!"

"Woah... ummm... what have you got in your room?"

"Mine? Oh my theme is victorian or something. Big french windows, huge bed, tiger rug, you know... ostentatious."

"Sounds wonderful..." The tired boy smiled, closed his eyes, and imagined his perfect room. He imagined the villas of his artificial youth, the cold, hars orphanage, the magnificent condo's he had seen in passing. He asked himself, 'where would a Heartless you had a sense of self and style live? Somewhere dark, gloomy, creepy, but with incredible gothic architecture... Gothic.'

"Any ideas hunny?"

"Yeah... You know like those gothic cathedrals and stuff you get, you know, typical haunted church with graveyard and so on... I'd like something like that... Stained red glass windows, very grand, delicate but slightly morbid... You know what I mean?"

"I know exactly what you mean love, but Sora might get creeped, so we'll sneak him in while he's asleep one night! Then he'll think he's been buried when he wakes up!"

"That's mean, but brilliant! Good plan!" Dante giggles with number 13, the two boys cuddling as they drew and sketched the basic idea for Dante's crypt-like domain. They finished planning and Roxas immediately got on the phone to the home-decorators he had used for every other room in the house. Meanwhile, Dante looked around his angels bedroom. 'Ha, I expected to have to go through some pearly gates and get ticked off by some winged dude to get in... This is heavenly!' He flopped back onto the huge feather mattress bed, his eyes studying the fresoces and portraits on the ceiling. 'I feel like I'm in the Sistene Chapel... I'm so proud of him, he does all this by himself, he even did his parents room I bet!'

"Yes I've done some basic sketches for you and you can ask the man himself when you get here. Yes yes I understand that you'll need a lot of materials, but we've still got a cellar full of timber and so on," Roxas kicked the bedroom door closed behind him, holding the wireless land-line in his porcelain fingers, he slouched on the bed next to the Heartless," Ok, thanks again mate, I owe you a good bottle of claret for this! Cya tomorrow."

"You're amazing." Roxas blushed from the sudden compliment, hiding his rosey cheeks, he spoke lovingly back;

"Not as good as you... I'm so proud of you for coming through all this and being your good old self... I took ages to accept that I was part of Sora..."

"Well... I always kinda felt I wan't normal, just not that different."

"Well... It's alright now. And we've got a few hours till we're going to the cinema with Axel and Demyx, and we need no more than ten minutes to pick up Sora from Riku's house... So, what you want to do?"

"Ummm... well I guess we could play some games or something, what you want to do?"

"You."

"Roxy!... Now?"

"Anytime baby... I always feel a little turned on around you." Both boys blushed from the frankness of their words, but they never stopped looking straight into each others opposite eyes. Roxas leant closer to his counterpart and brushed a stray lock of wavy hair away. Dante had adopted straightening the right-hand side of his fringe down to his chin, concealing fully a third of his face. The dead straight fringe of black red hair contrasted seductively with his naturally messy mass of burgundy and coal hair. His wine lips shone in the midday light, his snow-white teeth biting lightly in his aroused embarresment. Roxas pulled up closer, taking the infatuated teen in his arms, planting a single kiss on his tender mouth, he placed one hand ont he small of Dante's back and the other rested on the boys inner thigh near his awakening member. Dante again made startled noises at the blonde's advancing, before reaching out and brushing the boys cheek, giggling as Roxas purred and slowly pushed the italian back down onto the pillows. Their lips met and opened, their fleshy opening welcoming eachother as their tongues began working hungrily inside one anothers cavitities. Roxas reached a cool hand up Dante's loose t-shirt, his fingers teasing at the pinky tenderness of his nipples, causing the Heartless to arch his back in response, pressing their bodies hard together. He also took control, reaching down and unzipping Roxas' camo shorts, massagin the bulge through his blue boxers. Their eyes till never left eachother as the continues progressing through the erotic stages, first removing their shirts, then pulling down their shorts and kicking off their trainers. Neither of them had bother with socks, and now Roxas licked along the line of Dante's breifs, pushing a hand in from the stretchy leg hole and taking the 7 inch shaft in his hand.

"Nothing too drastic please!"

"As you wish dear." Roxas' voice dripped with his lust, as he pulled off the breifs and took the head in his starving mouth. As he moaned and jerked himself at the same time, Dante crawled round ontop of Roxas so he faced his still covered crotch. He rubbed the length lovingly for a few moments, then lifted his legs and slid off the blondes last clothing. He plunged the length fully into his greedy throat, the two enjoying the 69 for about half-a-dozen minutes until the erupted almost at once. They cuddled and napped together till they had half an hour to clean up and dress vaguely enticingly for Sora's benefit and then set out to pick up their somebody and looked forward to whatever movie was on.

Chapter 24 Halloween Special 1.

"Roxas! Hurry or we're gonna be late! Riku said they'd bust out ontot he streets at 9!" Sora was running around the front hall of Roxas' mansion like a headless chicken. He was doing this maily out of stress and built up energy from sweats, but also because Kairi was coming after him in her wicked witch costume.

"Sora! Do you have any idea how long it takes to wrap yourself up!?" Sora stopped suddenly at the idea of getting wrapped up by Roxas... and consequently got glomped by Kairi who was going skits over his costume.

"Oh my God Sora, I've never seen you in your Halloween stuff! You look so freaking scary and sexy!"

"Kairi, please, that is my boyfriend you're humping there." Roxas was at the corner of the staricase leading to his wing of the house. He trailed a few loose tapers of white cloth as his body was almost completely covered in bandages except for his head, which still had a few criss crossing his cheery features. His hair had black and grey highlights and his eyes were bordered by a dark green tone. Sora drooled as Roxas continued blushing while he made his way down to the floored teens. He reached down and lifted Kairi gently off of his lover adn dumped her roughly on the lowest step, "Now we just have to wait for Dante to finish his costume and we can go join the others at central station!"

"So hang on, what's the plan again? I know Axel and Demyx organised it so there's gonna be a lot of walking and singing!" Sora seemed to be rememberign some past Halloween when he had to endure Demyx's attentions for the entire night.

"Well we meet outside the station, go on a loop trick-or-treat of the marketplace district and the head into the restoration site to play pranks on Squall and the others, Tifa's helping us get in. We then come back to the station and we're gonna get everyone on the clock tower for a photo! We then trick-or-treat the other districts until we get to the end of town nearest here. We then come back here for a disco and drinks party for a while ending with a ballroom dance of all the couples and then we disperse half an hour after midnight to continue smaller scale celebrations. Anyone is free to stay here though."

"Woah... they really have thought this through! I can't wait!"

"Neither can I signor." The three teenagers turned to look at the figure entering from the ballroom. He was dressed in what looked alot like medieval armoiur, but it was black like bat wings curved around his calfs, forearms and thighs. He had nothing but a few torn rags around his chest and lopsided shoulder armour like pumpkins.

"What exactly are you and where did you get that awesome armour?" Roxas was already all over the Heartless, stroking the armour which he saw was covered in little carvings of pumpkins and Jack Skellingtons head.

"A friend of mine dropped it off for me."

"You mean? Jack!" Sora was hopping with joy a the obvious mention of his old companion.

"Yep, I met the pumpkin King en route to getting here from wherever I came from... Which must be that dark shore I remmeber us talking on Roxas!"

"Hmmmm most likely... But this costume is awesome! You look like some sorta wicked pumpkin knight! and it suits your hair and eyes perfectly!"

The 4 teens left the mansion in good spirits and started through the woods towards Twilight Town. They stopped in the middle of the forest though as Kairi freaked out and said she heard something. The 3 boys encircled her facing outwards jokingly protective, each grinning as they realised what was going to happen. Kairi screemed in fright and laughter as Demyx and Axel dropped down beside her in their creepy glam-rock style costumes. Their clothes were vibrant and covered in glitter and the like. The now bolstered party larked around the streets of Twilight Town as they made their way towards the station. They picked up Larxene and Namine from their house and found Xion playing in the park. Namine was dressed as a the Queen of Hearts while Larxene was the corresponding Queen of Spades. Xion had got Namine to draw stitches on her skin and to do her makeup, while she had made a stitched up dress from old cloth and now looked the spitting image of Sally, Jack's girlfriend. The party arrived at the station where Marluxia was dressed as Sweeney Todd and Zexion as Willy Wonka. The group all admired eachothers costumes, each then pairing up with their parnter for the night and they set off together, Demyx holding a large moble CD player which blared out 'This is Halloween.' They all sang along with Marilyn Manson;

"Boys and girls of every age, wouldn't you like to see something strange?

Come with us and you will see, this our town of Halloween!"

Luxord and Vexen were generous with their candy, many of them home made in Vexens lab or won in gambling. Xaldin pampered his daughter with mountains of sweats and simply blew the others off with a gruff wave of his hand. Olette, Pence and Hayner were busy struggling with Seifer's crew over a few spare candy bars, which Sora managed to swipe when Vivi wasn't looking. The other homes they passed were all very generous, and they altered the plan to do all the trick or treating before the photo so they could get the awesome full moon at the right time. They went about happily getting sweats from everyone till they came to Riku's house. Sephiroth was in the garden trimming his roses and Kadaj was on the trampoline with his friends. They all stopped their happy chatter when they heard the crew approaching. Spehiroth gave quick military hadn signals to the others, they then piled into the house and hid in the basement. The general then put on his best smile and continued his loving chores. Roxas and Sora jumped up from behind the hedge and screamed 'BOOO' in his face. He simply widened his smile, even laghing when Axel tried to tickle him. Of course everyone was thoroughly weirded out by Sephiroth being nice, so they decided to blow his cover and play a little trick on him. They began bantering, then offered him some of their sweets. They ofcourse offered him melted chocolates and sticky, dust covered pre-licked sweets and so on. Sephiroth seemed unphased as he chewed the disgusting candy.

"Mmmmmmhmm very nice, thank you boys and girls!" He waved them goodbye with that same smile on his face. He quickly spat out the sweets and summoned his wing. He then sped past the party at high speed, causing his tail wind to rais all the girls dresses off the floor and make some of Roxas' bandages to unroll. Although this was humiliating for the girls and very embaressing for their partners, everyone grudginly agreed that Roxas looked better with less of his body covered, and Sora was particularly forceful that he not do them up again. The group made their way to the station once more. They all clambered and fought over trying to get up the stairs of the old clock tower. They then lined up, legs hanging over the edge of the balcony. Dante Roxas and Sora were in the middle, Axel and Dmeyx leaning over and kinda squashing them. Marly and Zexion were cuddling beside them to the left. Riku and Kairi were standing holding hands, Riku covering his face embaressed as Kairi tries to get him to be less shy. Namine and Larxene were wobbling precariously as Namine had got too intrigued by a pigeon that flew off. Sora's mother had agreed to take the photo and she stood in the middle of the square with her tripod and tri-lensed camera. She did photography for her degree in art and still had some mean skills.

"Alright everyone, be careful! Say cheese! Sora-kun stop complaining hun and just smile for mummy!"

No-one would forget that sentence, and it was also why they were all laughing and truelyl having a great time when she clicked the button. She laughed heartily at the picture as single tear of nostalgia ran down her happy face. 'I hope they never have to be split up again... They're such a close group.'

Halloween special 2.

The party left the station and for the second time that month invaded Roxas' house. There were jack-o-lanterns in evry corner, the windows lit up with skulls and glow in the dark bats. the whole house looked like Dante's gothic cathedral of a room. Roxas' mum was baking pumpkin pie and carving the cookies into bat shapes with Sora's mum. They weren't expecting the kids back so early.

"What happened to raiding the Restoration Comittee?" Mrs Osment hugged her little vampire-boy so tightly Riku had to untangle them.

"Well we kinda ran out of time after we spent about an hour on the tower, Axel brought sea salt ice cream after all!" Demyx spoke for the group as the one who had decided to return home early

"That's alright then, some of you cna help with the baking, others can help my husband carve the last pumpkins. And Roxy! What happened to you, you're virtually naked!"

"Ummmmmm gust of wind..." The others snickered as Dante and Sora helped calm Mrs McCartney down. Roxas then made a break through to help his dad with the carving. They spent forever shaping and designing faces that resembled eachother and their friends from Halloween Town, they even placed one of Jack ontop of a scarecrow in the back garden. The group worked madly in the short time they had to finish transforming the house into a haunted mansion like it used to be when Diz lived in the basement. The house had grown massively since the McCartney's moved in for good, expanding to surpass even it's original glory.

"Alright everyone, since we've all worked so hard, I hereby pronounce this part-ay! to have begun!" There was a cheer following number 13's announcement in the great hall, and they then piled into the ballroom. It resembled the naive of Notre Dame or some other great church, the windows at the other end swapped for stained glass images of the famous sights of Halloween Town, from Curly Hill to Christmas Town centre. The Adams Family theme tune played as Roxas and Sora took to the dance floor and started something that only vaguly looked like dancing. Axel and Demyx strode on beside Marluxia and Zexion, both paris moving in sync and forcing the keyblade couple out of the way in their practised routine. Axel of course tripped Marluxia up and then everyone else joined in. They danced anyway they knew, some doing the robot, others trying to break-dance. Eveyone froze as Thriller started and Roxas took centre with Dante. They re-enacted the music video, the Heartless proving a skilled dancer as he nigh flawlessly imitated Micheal Jacksons own routine. He added a sneaky moon-walk to the show and everyone came in, a home video version of the zombie filled musical started as they all sang together and Mrs Osment filmed from the all sides. After that, more ballroom style music, but still creepy, came on and many pairings started cuddling and stepping gently from side to side, turning slowly.

"This is fun ain't it!?" Roxas was too caught up in the party to notice that Dante was crying.

"I hate this..."

"What!? What's wrong?" Roxas gripped the Heartless' shoulders and pulled him up to the windows.

"I... can't be with you like this..."

"Why? we're happy, and we don't mind what you are!" The nobody was next to tears now too hearing the words he'd been dreading since the battle.

"I... If I am truelly evil, then is it right for me to place the people I love in danger by letting them get close to my blach heart?"

"But you can see beyond your nature, you're not evil, you're a good person from a bad background... and exception to a rule, like me."

"I can't risk it Roxas!" Dante took a step back from his angel and tried to control his tear-jerking movements. He hid his eyes from the breaking heart he had torn out of Roxas' chest. But Roxas held himself together, as he and Sora had talked about this as they both worried that what Dante was now saying was true. But Sora had remembered Ansems research about the heart and how it could be overruled by the soul and personality of an individual of strong will.

"Just give me a chance to show you how much I love you, please, then will you consider staying?"

"I guess I can't stop you trying... Ok, give it your best shot." Roxas nodded and smiled, his tears drying quickly as he got his chance to sing. He signalled to Sora to set up the microphone and change the backing music. Roxas jumped up on stage and took control of the party;

"Alright everyone this is a special little number for someone dear to me, but you need a partner to dance with for this one, so hold eachother tight and let's go!" Roxas nodded to his somebody and a certain love song came on;

"I don't want another pretty face,

I don't want just anyone to hold,

I don't want my love to go to waste,

I want you and your beautiful soul.

You're the one I want to chase,

You're the one I want to hold,

I won't let another minute go to waste,

I want you and your beautiful soul.

I know that you, are something special,

To you I'd be, always faithful,

I want to be what you always needed

Then I hope you'll see the heart in me

I don't want another pretty face,

I don't want just anyone to hold,

I don't want my love to go to waste,

I want you and your beautiful soul.

Your beautiful soul... Ye-ea-ah"

Dante was at Sora's side now, smiling and laughing with his other lover, both admiring the young hero Roxa shad become.

"To think He used to be so down and sad... He's perked up a lot, especially since you got here!"

"You think I had something to do with Roxas' getting happy?"

"Not just Roxas, everyone! I mean, I'm happier than ever now that we're all together like we should be, and that makes our friends happy and our parents and so on happy, so in a sorta domino thing, you've made everyone alot happier here Dante, don't let the fact you're a Heartless get you down. And besides, we saw your heart that day, and it was not dark. It was a thousand shades of silver and grey with a single black spot. And that blakc spot is in everyone. You're not a real Heartless, you're much better than that."

"You've learnt alot haven't you Sora?"

"Eh..." Sora looked over tot he door and waved the Dr Ansem who was catching up with his good friend Mr Osment. Ansem the Wise thought back to the kind but naive boy who had left Destiny Islands, and then looked back at the grown up, intelligent and now wise teenager who had become so many wonderful things. He smiled in return, then made his farewells and disappeared into the star-lit night.

"I guess you did learn from the best over time" Dante grinned and kissed Sora softly, a feeling of warmth and peace filling him as the opposite sides of the same coin came together. Roxas couldn't help smilin as he sang the final verse, his eyes fixed on the kissing pair. 'well, at least we've got some stories we can tell, and I just can't wait until next Halloween, because I've got some new ideas that will really make them scream!'

Chapter 25

Dante sat with his books clasped to his chest. He was in the school reception outside professor Xemnas' office. He had been idly scribbling notes in psychology when Mr Valentine's lesson was interrupted by an un-scheduled announcement through the school speaker system. He'd recieved looks from everyone as he passed classrooms as the whole school had hear the principle ask to see him ASAP. Now he was sat in those detergant soaked chairs that looked comfy till you'd sat in them for ten minutes.

"The Principle will see you now." Quistis' iron voice cracked at him, causing the teen to visibly flinch. His usual intellectual persona was replaced by the same fear all the boys and girls feel at the idea of seeing Xemnas in his lair. He managed to force himself to his feet. Ducking his head and pulling his straightened fringe over his eye, he entered the plai, work-efficient hub of the school.

"You wanted to see me sir." The italians accent crept back as he lost his composure seeing the tanned principle staring at him.

"Well I can't see you can I?" Dante shifted the wall of hair slightly," And your shirt is untucked," The boy placed his books on the coffee table in the room's centre and fiddled with his white shirt, forcing it into the white and blue chekered uniform," Better, please sit." The teen relished the chance to collapse in the great black leather sofas, but a quick bark from the Superior had him bolt upright.

"What's it you'd like to talk about sir?"

"In good time. Your english coursework... Xaldin was very impresses firstly with your perfect english despite your Italian rearing," Xemnas winked and put a finger to his lips as he spoke," but he believes you have the abilities and creativity to be doing the same exams as our university entrants, and many of your other teachers have given me similar feedback." The boy smiled, blushing as his fears of being rejected by all the teachers present at the train station event evaporated.

"I believe that my achievements are not wholly my own. I owe it to my teachers that I have performed to my very best."

"And it is the mature and considerate clarity of vision that you have just shown that makes me feel confident you can deal with what I really called you here for. You see, most of the people who witnessed your trials at the station learned that they must judge someone by the strength of his character and his value as a person, not the colour of his heart over which he has no power. A few, however, did not learn this important lesson and still judge you unfairly. I shan't name them, but this is a warning. I am asking you to prove your doubters wrong."

"That's very kind of you sir. I will endevour to be as kind and helpfull as I have learnt from those now close to me. Worry not about me Principle, I will go about my life in euphoria as if I had taken of the fruit of the Hesperides. I have found among mortal men that warmth and love that I craved and lacked in the Darkness. I'm already planning on giving a few friends some lessons in ballroom dancing, and I'm hoping to expand my usefullness from there!" The articulate and genial youth grinned the sincere smile of his lighter half. He wanted to make Sora and Roxas and all his new friends proud. The Seeker of Darkness nodded and a small crease appeared as his lips lifted to match his approving yellow eyes that glowed like twin suns. He gestured for Dante to leave, the young boy running out after giving his thanks and congratulating himself on regaining his cool at the end. He stopped in the reception as he heard the sound of Marluxia's voice cutting through the school's radio broadcast. The flower boy was pretending to advertise;

"Have you thought about the Organisation 13 pension scheme!?... Animal lover? Call up our pet-care specialist Saix for hands on advice on how to be a loyal mutt."

"Man... these people are weird.

Chapter 26

Droplets of inky acqua twirled like ballerina's on the layered roof of the mansion, glorious blasts of lightning crashing into the woods around, illuminating the buildings ghoulish sillhouete. With rolling thunder charging across the veiled heavens, the house reverbrated with terrifying howls, no corner spared from the fury of the storms scream. The black water swirled around the besieged home as the residents turned in their beds, afraid of the fury of the night. A boy with hair like the most breathtaking dawn had managed to fall into a tentative slumber amid the storm, his lover there by him, Sora having fell asleep before the storm even started. Roxas' lips moved against his will, his eyes screwing up and relaxing in turn as he twitched and fumbled at every strike of the electrified bolts. His mind was however far away, enduring a very different means of torture. Roxas dreamed, and his dreams were rarely heartwarming.

He saw himself as floating impassively above the town graveyard. He imagined himself as one of the cememtaries feared wraiths, his ghastly levitation reminding him of the nightmares of his youth. He saw himself glide over to a blackened, soot covered tombstone. He rana pale, spectral hand along the worn stone, wiping away soem of the dark dirt. He began reading the details of who lay at peace within. His eyes gazed with a sleepy dread as he came to the name.

"Sora Osment, let his joy make heaven a shade brighter too."

Roxas didn't cry as he read those words, for he saw another stone beside this one, less grand but clearly built with just as much love and care. It was however eroded by time and nature, vines of sickly green thorns bit deep into the decaying rock. He tore aside the plant to learn the resident cadavers name.

"Roxas McCartney, his bravery shines in the dark even now."

Roxas cried then, for he knew he was now damned to wander this horrible place for eternity, always watching, always crying over the fate of himself and his true love. He collapsed to the floor, his ghostly body fading as he weeped before his own and Sora's graves. Time passed and the night grew no older, his fears of eternity escalating with every minute of sorrow. Then he stopped, for he heard a sound of grinding stone break through the cold misty silence of the necropolis. He rose back into the air, his vision clearing the tears from his view as he saw a solemn figure closing the crenulated and archaic gates of the dead-city. The newcomer wore clothes of mourning, his noir attire blended him into the foggy darkness of the never ending midnight. The figure approached the two graves that the haunting Roxas had just been broken before. He pulled up by the stone edifeces of the the two boys and reached out a hand, stroking the stones where Roxas had removed soot or vines. The person looked up from behind the hood he wore, and he looked straight, unkowingly at Roxas floating above him. Roxas choked and fell back as he saw the persons eyes. His mind filled with the hatred in those crimson orbs of blood red crystal. The tears tipping those wrathfull eyes fell to the ground and burnt the roots and dead grass like acid. The boy looked back to the gravestones, his hand again stroking them. Then another stepped up beside him. This one dressed in one coat that Roxas would never forget. The hooded leather attire of the Organisation looked rude and alien in this place of death. the boy turned briefly to the other, then returned to staring sadly at the twin memories.

"You did well to get rid of them, they held you back my boy," Roxas cried out in silence as he stared at his former master. Xemnas removed his hood and smirked as the red-eyed teen whimpered in mind-crushing sorrow. The Superior placed a gloved hand on the adolescants shoulder and pulled him around, pulling him closer and bringinf their faces intimatetly near," would you rather they were still here to hold you back, they were fools who denied you the chance to serve me." The boy screamed, his guilt bursting from his black heart in a wave as he tore away from the Nobody.

"No!!!!! I loved them, I didn't mean to kill them! It wasn't my fault!"

"You held Sora under as he bathed in that blackened water, it was his blood you washed from your hands in that same bath. You left Roxas with the other Heartless, neigh you were the one who summoned those dark warriors. You are the murderer, and such a wonderfuly effective one at that! I would never have got so many of those who betrayed me in this very graveyard without you, Dante."

"No! I didn't want to!"

"Then why?"

"You didn't give me a choice, you'd take everything from me if I didn't do what you asked..."

"And yet even though you have obeyed me, you have lost everything."

"What?"

"You never had a heart for me to steal, and you have destroyed everything that made life worth it all for you, you killed them all in cold blood and even enjoyed a few of them towards the end!"

"But... you... tricked me?"

"You were such a malleable, simple tool back then, a few compliments here, a touch there and you were my willing plaything!" The boy backed away from the triumphant megalomaniac in distress, his heart bleeding as he realised what he had done.

"I would never hurt them! I would never kill Sora or Roxas or any of my friends! You liar, I didn't do it! Stop filling my head with guilt! you took them from me!!" The Heartless boy attacked the older man, his black wings spouting as he tore at the other with loathing. Xemnas simply laughed and clicked his fingers, bindings of nothingness constricting the teen. He then reached forward and forced his lips onto the boys, his tongue pushing through his teeth. Dante screamed helplessly as his last refuge, that fact that he had always been loyal in body to his other halfs, was taken from him by the very man who had used him. Roxas was on Xemnas' back, his incorporeal body uselessly passing through both of the living combatants. He screamed as Xemnas forced his hand inside Dante's jeans and wailed as his heartless was raped.

Roxas' eyes jumped open as the nightmare climaxed, his arms and legs flailing as he tried to scream. He then stopped as he found his mouth covered with the sweet, chocolatey warmth of Sora's lips. He let his shoulders relax and he uncoiled his tense muscles, allowing Sora entrance as he realised he must've been hyper-ventilating.

"I didn't have a bag to stop you, so I guessed this would work too, what was going on?"

"Don'ver let go!" Roxas squeezed his angel tight, Sora giggling then closing his eyes and stroking the blondes head," it was horrible!" Roxas then described as best he could what happened in his terrible dream.

"Dante would never do that, and he's no idiot."

"I thought so too, but it felt so real and cruel that I couldn't use reason!"

"He really wouldn't be that stupid... he got straight A's in his first ever tests!"

"Sora I think this goes beyond intellect..."

"I know, but I'll never question his loyalty and kindness. Sure his heart is dark, but he is one of us now, everyone thinks him a good friend, and we love him don't we?"

"Of course Sora... I love him just as much as I love you... I cherish you both so much, you make me feel happy and he makes me feel safe and strong... Mind you, where is Dante? Is he sleeping over at Zexions house tonight?"

"No I'm certain he's in his room."

"Let's go check." The duo left the bedroom still just in their underwear and creeped across the baclony overlooking the front hall to Dante's door. They giggled as they silently slid the door open and went into the gllomy room. The stained glass windows were a deep blue against the moons light that now shone in the cleared sky. The gothic bedpost and walls glowed violet, the purple candles surrounding the bed about half way burnt. Dante lay with nothing but the crimson silk sheets coverning his crotch as he lay looking as though he had collapsed unconsious into bed. Roxas and Sora snuck up on both sides of the mattress and slowly crawled on beside him. His eyes were open in a moment. The bloody glow that shone from them fell on the two boys in turn. He smiled, knowing that the dream he had endured alongside Roxas was nothing more than cruel fantasy.

"You came back from that dark event horizon. I feared I was more sinned against than a sinner and that I will ever act more in sorrow than in anger."

"We never left you Dante!" replied the brunette as he cuddled up against the heartless.

"I understand now then that I need not make virtue of necessity, and I shall ever dnace attendance upon you my dear hearts. I lived before in a fools paradise, and it is a foregone conclusion that as good luck my have it, I am not what I am in such irreverand hopes."

"Huh?"

"I think he's saying that he's not that evil..."

"That is the truth of it, though it is all one to me, and to give the devil his due, I do love thee as the morning flower does love the touch of the rising sun and the sleeping dove does enjoy the company of it's life-long love, and in one fell swoop I would cast aside anything that would ever threaten my loyalty to the two of you, That I would all my pilgrimage dilate to you and would let you beguile me of my tears, that you should love me for any reason save my past and shelter me as I strive to repay my debts."

"You have such a way with words deer italiano" the Nobody sighed in appreciation of this warming talk, his hands and Dante's clasped together as Sora hugged the Heartless from behind.

"Ah but when I didst first meet you my very good and noble lovers, twas strange, twas passing strange, was pitiful, twas wondrous pitiful that you should go beyond my dangers and find sweet tender love within me, for no witchraft did I use, nor charms you set upon me. We are true and free unto one another."

"I'm tired..."

"Sora you have to kill a moment don't you!?"

"Yeah I was actually trying really hard there, I had to string that together on the spot!"

"And a good job you did too, though clearly such eloquence passes over the head of darling Sora-kun here. Surely you have a tongue in your head for more high register speech?"

"Can we just go to sleep together now, I'll appreciate the poetry when I can hold my eyes open for more than 3 seconds!"

"Awww you must be exhausted from the storm and coming to me, here, I'll cradle you." Sora crept into Dante's arms, snuggling into the warmth of his beating chest. Roxas then reached around the brunette and held him too. The three fell asleep then, Dante last as he stared with euphoria at his lovers. They slumbered with the lunar rays still falling on their young bodies entwined on the blood tinted sheets.

Chapter 27

"Squall! Come on we need to get to work!"

"I'm comin Tifa, jeeze you can be a bossy one when you're in a mood!"

"What's that, I wasn't listening because I'm gonna be on time and you aren't if you don't get that lion-butt of yours out here!"

"Why do I live with her...?" Squall collapsed sleepily down the staris of the apartment block, his fur lined jacket only attached to one of his arms. His sister was already revving the engine of her convertible wating for him. He slumped into the passenger seat and groaned the order to move out before snoring happily to himself.

"Honestly, I would've thought you and Cloud might of realised that staying up so late on a work day is not a good idea... and you made Cloud walk home too! Lazy bum..." Tifa continued complaining toi the dormant brunette till she pulled up at the college car park. She stepped out and slammed the door back, jolting Squall from his nap. He mumlbed some obcenities then grumbled about period mood swings. The siblings made their way to the school staff room, entering the failry luxurious office lounge enviroment and stadnign out like sore thumbs in a mass of frilly, painted fingers. Squall mused to himself how half the wages of all the staff must be put into funding the repositories of hair-products needed to maintain the colourful fashion of the day. Rud the handyman was helping the physics master Rufus Shinra into his wheelchair while the said teacher coyly dodged the searching questions of the Religous Studies master Aerith. Saix and Luxord exchanged pleasantries and tales of the literate failings of their english pupils while Dr Ansem bored Cloud and Light (Warrior of) to death. Squall strode over to his boyfriend and hugged him from behind, waking up the dozing blonde and causing his chocobo hair to bob around as he tried to see his attacker. Squall then spun the trainee-teacher round to kiss him before pretending to listen to Dr Ansem go on about the last time is was on Budapest. 'Yep, just another day in the office,' decided the lion-heart appreciatevely.

_Riku's POV_

Where is he? He said he'd be here at 1:30! Dammnit Sora you were never very good at timing were you? I guess that's another day gone where I didn't get the chance to give Sora this... It was kinda nice of dad to make this for him, but why would Sora want a pendant like this? I mean I guess it might be for Dante, but why would dad want me to give it to Sora? Is it so Dante doesn't know it was from Sephy? Maybe it's magical? No why on earth would dad give it to someone... unless it was a weapon... Maybe dad didn't take Dante's revelation so well... Oh wait there's Sora now!

_Sora's POV_

"Hiya Riku!" I couldn't help running up and hugging him, he had that usual confused look on his face and his eyes looked so cute! I need to stay off the caffeine.

"I have something for you Sora, it's a present for you to give to Dante."

A present, to Dante? From Riku? Now? Why? What? Maybe it's candy! Nah Riku duhn like candy... Mind you it is for Dante, and Dante said he like candy... or was that just my candy? I can't remember, but I'm sure he'll like it even if it is candy! Oh god Riku is staring at me like I'm a zombie again... Who said candy? Candy! Damn there I go again no more sweet stuff today Sora you'll get a gippy tummy and Roxas'll pout that I ate everything...

"Sorry, you have something? That's nice Riku! I'll be sure to deliver it!" Act cool Sora, just close your eyes and hold out your hands... He put something in!

"There you go Sora, be sure to pass on my regards too spikey!" I just had top giggle, Riku hadn't called me that for ages, did it mean we were bestest friends again? I hope so! I opened my eyes as I laughed. He'd put a simple silver chain in my hands, attached to which was a pendant, I could feel it's weight. I lifted it to see it in the afternoon sunlight. It was awesome!

"Coooooool! It's a keyblade! Hang on... ain't this the one Dante got?"

"It sure is, be sure to give it to him soon!"

"Ok, thanks Riku-san, I'll cya round!" I hugged him again, his cheeks must've gone red cause he kinda mumbled goodbye sheepishly when he smiled. I needed to find Dante and fast so that the magic moment of gift-giving didn;t run out! Yeah... I really need to stay off the sugar...

_Roxas' POV_

"Dante! nyaaaaaah! must we do this now? I mean we gotta be at physics in 2 minutes! ohhhhh alright if you insist!" God his tongue is amazing! yeah keep licking, god I love it when you give me head!

"I love giving you head..."

"Woah did you just read my thoughts?"

"No... I just realised you taste nice" That smile... it was so like Sora but was distinctly Dante... I'm so lucky to have them both... Shit, I swear I just heard footsteps!

_Sora's POV_

Lalalalalalalaaaa ice cream ice cream- ooooooohhh what's this? Those are Roxas' and Dante's bags, why are they left outside the girls loos? I guess one sneak peek won't hurt! Man it stinks of lipstick and stuff in here! shhhh Sora I can hear something... It's them , they're in the cubicles! I'm gonna sneak up on them!

_Dante's POV_

I can't believe it, Roxas is so yummy! And he wants me to write him a poem! I must remember that tonight! Huh? I can see under the cubicle sides... and there's someone there!... Hang on... I know those trainers! Sora!... wait... why is he on the girls loo? damn we forgot our bags!... Did he just take his trousers off?

_Writer's POV_

Sora was smirking to himself as he let his chequered blue school trousers fall down around his ankles. He could hear the definite sound of two boys being intimate inside the third cubicle. He untied his tie and undid all but one button of his shirt. kicking the trousers over his trainers, he slipped silently and near nakedly into the next door loo.

"Pssssst!"

"Woah what the hell was that?!"

"I don't know." Lied the Heartles.

"Psssssssssssst! Roxas! You're in the girls loo you know!"

"Sora! Oh my god don't do that! You scared me you little... oh just get in here!"

"... OKAY!" The brunette climbed nimbly over the thin wall and landed between the other two, his unusual attire of trainers, boxers and a short sleeve shirt matching Roxas' own state of undress... minus the boxers. Dante was fully clothed in his slightly too well fiitted school clothes. Sora could see and had to blush and giggle as he noticed the black-haired boys pants were so tight, they followed the shape of his ass perfectly when they were pulled by his erection. Despite the awkwardness and space problem, it felt very romantic.

"So Sora... I guess you wanna join in?" Inquired the horny blonde.

"One thing first! Dante, Riku-san gave me this to give to you! It's your keyblade ain't it?"

"Yeah, how'd he make it?"

"Who knows, Riku's a mysterious guy!" stated the still erect Nobody, his member slightly pressed against Sora's crotch in the confined area.

"Roxas! you're poking me!"

"Well if you two weren't so cute together maybe I wouldn't be hard!" Dante smiled knowingly, putting the pendant round his kneck to join the Heartless symbol, then reaching round and massaging Sora's groin and chest from behind.

"I think we should exploit the situation Sora, let's give Roxas a god time!"

"From what I can remember of a few seconds ago Dante," Sora managed between gasps of pleasure," You two were already quite happily making eachother happy before I got here!"

"Well now I'm really happy Sora!" Roxas beamed and pulled Sora in, stepping forward himself so their bodies were together. The three boys spent about 5 minutes slowly undressing eachother and playing around from every angle. It wasn' long before they'd all shot their loads and were on their way out, holding hands with Sora in the middle.

_Kairi's POV_

Riku and Marly'll pay gold for this! I gotta get this camera to a computer! Next time Sora, don't let your love-making come into my territory! Now where's that computer lab, cause that was the hottest thing I've ever seen, and I wanna enjoy this privately first! Oh Sora you gonna pay for running off with that blonde bimbo and gothic creep!

Chapter 28

The 3 teenagers were blushing the rest of the day. They suddenly realised how risky their sexual activities were and made a pact to keep the love-making to the bedroom, no matter how conveniant anywhere at school seemed. Kairi did as she had planned and uploaded the candid video tape to her laptop then onto her Twitter page using the college network. She made sure it was a private video that only selected friends could watch, and set the only allowed users to Riku and Narmine. She cackled madly to herself as she walked to her gym class. She chuckled all the way through badmington while glancing at Sora and Roxas in the pool. She merrily giggled when she saw Dante come out in his borrowed swimming shorts and dive clumsily into the water. It seemed that swimming was the one time he wasn't so graceful. Sora quickly got down to teaching him the basics and Roxas watched, holding his sides as he rocked back and forth in laughter. Dante ended up without his swim-wear after a few dive attempts. Kairi couldn't help thinking how cute the Heartless looked blushing a bloody crimson colour, though she chided herself for letting herself forget her mission. She'd get back at Sora for forgetting her, for running off with those two fags! And to think he'd even given her good luck charm to Roxas! Kairi knew that a few of the people around college hadn't taken very well to Dante, especially since he became his true Heartless self. She'd use this video and some of her own rumours to get him expelled and maybe Roxas too, but make it seem like Sora was getting raped, then when the dust settled, she'd be the closest person to him and the one who helped him overcome his grief. He'd have to fall for her then! Kairi smirked as Dante and Roxas started having a splash fight, Sora pre-occupied with trying to see how long he could hold his breath under-water. She oticed that Badmington had ended and waltzed back to the changing rooms. She passed Larxene in the corridor, slipping a note to the blonde, she winked as Larxene frowned in confusion. Kairi wandered on to the shower room. The Savage Nymph unfolded the note and read the scrawled words. Her eyes flared with her lighting as she finished the sentence. The paper caught fire as the bolts of electricity tingled her entire body. She stormed off out of the gym. Kairi grinned from her place in the door frame, quickly slipping through. She changed her cruel smile to a jovial one as she found Namine. Her Nobody had undressed and was about to enter the showers. She giggled as Kairi did a little twirl in front of the mirror, her gym skirt and shirt falling to the floor. The red head chortled, 'No, there's no way Sora can resist me!' The two girls shared a shower cubicle, Kairi releasing her pent up desire so she could keep focused long enough to complete her plans.

Back at the pool, Roxas and Dante left Sora as they had another lesson to get to, and he stayed to tidy up. The swimming team captain was happy as he put away the snorkles and floats, the box of goggles too as he hummed some of the songs from the party to himself. He was just reaching up to put some of the waterpolo balls on a high shelf, when a certain silver haired 17 year old came up behind him. Riku's eyes widened as his dream boy was wearing just speedo tight trunks and stretching upwards turned to see who had turned up. Sora smiled his trademark smile to his ears, his eyes closing as he broadened the grin. He jumped down from the crate he was standing on and ran up to Riku. The best friends hugged for a moment, Riku's mind used by now to Sora's naive phyiscal forwardness.

"Say Sora, you think you could do a favour for me?" Riku asked after the usual banter and formalities of their meetings subsided.

"Sure Riku, just don't ask me to baby-sit Kadaj again, that was not cool!"

"Don't worry, I won't. I hoped you could deliver a present for me!"

"Another one? I already gave Dante the keyblade pendant!"

"This one's for your mum. She's always been to nice to me and your other friends, so me, Demyx Axel and a few others got her these!" Riku reached into his bag and produced a mass of gifts. One was a bouquet of flowers wrapped with blue string and with an attached photo of Demyx. A box of Chocolates had Riku's mug on them while a small bottle of after-dinner wine had the pyro-boy's face plastered on it. Axel had always had a thing for Sora's mum leading to no small number of cases were Axel embaressed the brunette in front of the whole school on parent-teacher meetings. Zexion had also contributed at the demands of the flower-boy, the pair having thrown together a picture frame made from petryfied black blossoms from their tree. Hayner and the Twilight Gang had got a high quality copy of the picture from the beach of them all with their sand castle to go in the frame. Sora accepted each gift happily, his arms laden with them before long ad his face obscured by the flowers. Riku helped him balance as he made his way to the door. Sora put the pile down and threw on a shirt and sandals before ushering Riku out and locking the door, having retrevied the gifts. The companions walked together to the edge of the campus where Riku split off after saying good bye to meet with Kairi in town. The Keyblade Hero went home after a great day at school. Mrs Osment was over-joyed with the presents, she wrote thank you letters and made cup-cakes for all the lovely nice boys at Sora's school, calling up their parents if they had them to commend their sons. Olette's mother got Sora's mum into a gossipy mood, and the two old school friends nattered for hours. Sora texted his boyfriends and spent the rest of the day in his garden jumping about on the trampoline. He called out eagerly to his brother as the blonde SOLDIER pulled up on his handmade bike. Cloud ruffled his bro's hair as he walked into the kitchen, before shouting back that the last one to the trampoline was a loser. Sora of course lost.

Chapter 29

Kairi had to move quickly, she'd wasted enough time already and she wanted Dante and Roxas out of Sora's life. She chortled to herself as she thought 'in love on Halloween, broken up by Christmas!' It was true that the Yuletide festivities were imminent and Kairi was ready to play the almighty grinch. She was wearing her most alluring dress with a low cut front to reveal her burgeoning woman-hood, the red silk clund to her petite hips as she hoped. She reached into her designer hand-bag and quickly sprayed a few droplets of perfume about her person. She would first show Sora her beauty then her softness, then her strength wheh his heart was freed of those two little faggots! She smiled unknowingly to herself as she cat-walked to the Mall where she was meeting Sora for some last minute Chritsmas shopping. Her eyes rose from admiring her own form and widened in shock. Her breath caught in her pale throat as she saw the jovial brunette dancing on the indoor ice-rink, accompanied by THAT one. The Italians swift circles arounf his angel were dazzling as his white fangs flashed in the reflected shimmer, his eyes glowing through the thin veil of ice his skates kicked up. Sora giggled loudly as Roxas and Riku called on from the side of the rink, their happy cries the antithesis of what Kairi thought existed between them. She had tried her best to poison Riku since she realised she couldn't bare not having Sora, and now seriously regretted telling him to become friends with Roxas then Dante early that year. She pouted, her arms trembling and straight at her sides, a rictus snarl on her foundation covered face. She looked fit to erupt, but simply turned and stormed out of the Mall, bargin past shoppers and children carrying ice cream and wish-lists. Sora saw her marching out of the building and called Dante over. The Heartless appeared silently at his side, his smile now faded as he acknowledged the problem.

"What's up with her? I mean me and Kairi were best friends forever once..."

"I fear she had other plans than those she told you and Roxas and all our friends. I heard that Namine was heard from Kairi that Roxas and Namines girlfriend, Terra I think it was, had a thing going. I noticed Riku and Roxas having a hushed discussion about her and how she was telling Riku to distrust us, and they told me that she'd said in one of their classes out loud that you'd been seen a few times around Marluxia's place."

"Marly? But Zexion is sooooo much cooler!"

"That's the point silly, Zexion wouldn't, Marly would."

"You mean go out with me?" The villainous boy turned away, hating himself for being ever the one to bring bad news.

"I mean that Kairi is spinning a web of lies to catch you adn us and let the arachnid authorities tear us apart. She'll then crawl in and suck dry the choicest fly."

"Ewwwww that's gross Dante! But I guess... You mean she wasn't ok with me and Roxas... then us and you?"

"No... she likely wanted you all this time and is now trying to turn others against us. I'm surprised at her tenacity and resourcefulness. She's used alot of old rumours too, like the one I hear of you and Axel having a stint"

"Oh yeah Axel got me drunk but then forgot his own limit and we ended up kinda half naked kinda in bed kinda hugging."

"You have the gracious gift of tongues to describe it so... kinda." Sora beamed, hugged his darling Heartless then, holding Dante's hand, led him over to their lover and friend. Riku high-fived the cocoa teen and Roxas ruffled Dante's carefully straightened fringe. The gang spotted Marluxia and Zexion window-browsing and ambushed them at the next corner, the couple immediately getting down to business and filling the love-triangle in on Kairi's latest lon stories and tales. Axel was being dragged half awake behind Demyx who squeeled at the sight of every new and popular toy he could find, the water-boy already carting a load of plushies in his arms. Axel left his baby to whisper a warning to his buddy.

"Riku-kun, Kairi says you and me had sex last weekend, I don't know about you, but maybe we should make that one true."

"Hehe, dream on spikey, but I appreciate the message, we'll make her pay for the trouble."

After another hour, the whole party had bought eachother presents and were set to return to school where there was free wrapping paper and the classes were open. They needed scissors and glue and Axel planned to leave a special gift for the staff in their common room. Once they had all their resources, the friends made plans for a Christmas Eve dinner for all at the towns top Italian cuisine, at Dante's suggestion of course. They also scratched the red headed girl of their nightmares off the guest list.

That evening, Kairi had recovered her appearance and was now waiting outside the home of Dr Xemnas himself, her knuckles still stinging from knocking on the heavy Ash door. The portal swung open and the silver haired master gestured for the girl to enter.

"I know why your here, and I don't care for it. I for one have no interest or care in the sex lives of my pupils and the fact that you are jealous makes no differance."

"Please sir just hear me out!"

"Very well, but this better be more than just childish ranting and a boring epitaph."

"I have more this time, real evidence of what those creeps have done to him!"

"Those creeps? But everyone tells me you get on so well with 13 and his Heartless?"

"A lie, a farce! I just want to get rid of them!"

"That's a very serious claim and intention, do you have genuine reasons for this harsh judgement?"

"They hurt Sora and keep him from me! I want to make him safe and happy but they just fuck him and snogg him and go all gooey on him, they don't offer him the strength and guidance of a good woman!"

"That's sexist adn narrow-minded of you Kairi, I may be the only independant listener who will stoop to bare your story in my thoughts, but don't think I am sympathetic to you. Not only have both Sora's grades and behavious improved since Roxas and he got together, but both have jumped up sets since Dante arrived, adn if that doesn't mean anything to you, all my colleagues have commented on their good nature and popularity in among their peers, and all the parents I have the pleasure of meeting have slid me a few complimentary words on how accepting my school is of this most adorable romance. You've got alot to break and tear apart Kairi dear, do you really think your selfish little game of chess will have any affect on the situation."

"It's not a game!" Kairi was breaking into tears as the one person she thought suported her put the reality of the world into context. She knew she had no hope before but she now clung to the one weapon she had against the trio. She reached into her pockets and extracted her memory stick. Xemnas understood and brought out his laptop. She set the computer up to play the video she had so devillishly created. She had altered Sora's voice to cries of help and pain, while Dante and Roxas now cackled a little too manicly. Xemnas remained silent, his golden eyes flitting across the sex on play before him. His eyebrows didn;t rise, his mouth didn't hang open, his shoulders didn't clench, Kairi saw none of the reactions she had hoped for. Xemnas just watched the now horrid scene of the false rape. The video ended and was about to run on to play the original un-edited version, but Kairi whipped out the memory stick. The screen went blank.

"Now you see what they've done to him!?" Kairi then ranted and raved as she always did, describing all the dirty looks they gave Sora, the cold, cruel things they whispered to him, the promises of torture she had now forced her troubled mind to believe were really there. Dante had seen it, and now Xemnas realised that Kairi was set on this path, her eyes like tunnels as she now truelly thought that Roxas and Dante had raped and stolen Sora and that they were evil, Riku a coward and weakling and all her friends liars and traitors. Now only Sora remained in her double crossed heart. The Nobody laughed.

"That's your ace in the hole? That's your ultimate weapon to shatter the dreams of not just those three but also all your one time friends? Well I'm sorry but not only is that pathetic, but illegal for you to film it without their knowledge. They're all of the correct age and the lip sync is deplorable. Maybe a computer genius like our own technician Cid could help you with that." Suddenly three hooded figures appeared behind Kairi, one taking the memory stick from her hand, the others barring her exit," And now that you've put it online... oh yes Cid noticed that when I told him to monitor your activity through the school computers, totally legal since he didn't touch your home computer."

"You keep talking about the law and how you're clean by it and that you never did anything you weren't allowed to, but here you are breaking the law now!"

"Ah but our activity on computers can be tracked, but here you're all alone dear girl." Xemnas clicked his fingers and Xigbar, Xaldin and Lexaeus removed their hoods before carrying Kairi off.

"You can't do this, you liar! Traitor!"

"Says the whore who turned on her best friends? I'm sorry dear but you're going down for posession of illegal material of an explicit nature, for breaing and entering into my home," Lexaeus' gloved fist smashed a hole through the 3 inch door," and for attempting to force posession of said material into my posession."

"But when they see it they'll see them! They'll see what they did!"

"Oh no they won't." Xemnas opened his laptop again, inserted the stick and wiped it clean, then added a few pieces of questionably aged photos of Kairi's classmates onto the stick," You're the all time predator who followed your friends development from the age of 10 it would seem. You are undoubtadly guilty of paedophilia and will pay the price little girl. Stay out of the policies of my school. In fighting within class A-7 is forbidden as you are the only defence of this island. The last thing I need is another teenage drama queen ruining my plans."

Chapter 30

The cool night did nothing to calm Sora. He'd been fretting like most of his friends for weeks after Kairi's dissapearance. Sure she'd gone behind their backs but she was still his childhood friend and Sora never gave up on a friend. They'd searched all over town and even revisited other worlds looking for her. No-one had seen her. Tonight Sora was going to sleep at Roxas' house while his parents were enjoying their anniversary. He was looking forward to seeing his lovers but the weight of recent events supressed his natural urge to be happy. He felt nostalgic of their life on the island before their adventures started, and he thought how silly he was to think this Christmas was going to be anything like that. Axel and Demyx spent all day in bed, Riku was heartbroken and inconsolable over Kairi and no-one wanted to have a snowball fight on the happiest day of the year. Roxas had been a little down, so that left only Dante, who was the only one to not really know Kairi, but he still understood how much she meant to everyone as a good friend. They managed to end the day on a good note together, everyone agreeing that they forgave Kairi, and all layed their presents for her under her families tree, Axel crying over his sister in Demyx's shoulder. Sora felt that the solemn event somehow did Kairi justice, even after all the painfull and misguided things she'd done, she was still good old Kairi to them.

His thoughts jumped forward to last night. New Years Eve was as big as Christmas for the teens and they'd had something of a more lively time, Axel and Demyx teaming up with Marly and Zexion to put on a smash in the school grounds. Roxas had been happy that time and Dante taught Sora to dance. It was how things were meant to be, though they all knew they were on edge, covering up for Kairi again. Sora felt a clenching in his breast, his caring heart wrenched as he thought of how he'd let Kairi go again. He stopped, his breathing becoming difficult as tears welled up in his eyes. 'Kairi' he was choking on tears now, 'Kairi I'm so sorry!'

His morbid breakdown was interrupted as a torn, distressed voice cried out to him from the direction of school. He was at the base of Roxas' huge drive and could see Dante's stained glass window reflecting the moonlight. He turned from this sanctuary and wiped water from his cerulean eyes. He gasped and tripped in shock as he saw his favourite red head girl running madly towards him. Kairi's clothes were torn and blood stained her hair and skirt. Her legs were bruised and Sora knew all too well that way someone his their face even as they tried to cling to you.

"Kairi what happened to you?!"

"Oh Sora! I'm sorry, I've done a terrible thing..." replied the deteriorated girl.

"It's ok now, we don't care what you did, we understand... shhhhh Kairi please! Come on K I'm here don't worry" Sora held her head to his chest and stroked her hair, her heartbeat raging against his own.

"I... it's Xemnas!"

"The Principle? He did this?" Sora's mind clicked, he foolishly forgot that for a year or so Xemnas had tried to kill them all.

"He fooled me... I trusted him and he stabbed me in the back... Oh Sora he... touched me... and beat me and Uggh!" Kairi's head rolled back as she feinted from horror. Sora caught her neck and held her close, his mind racing to think of what to do. He shouted. He let his voice crack as he cried for his friends. His hoarse outbursts heralded he appearance of a man in a black coat, hood drawn up over his face.

"To have come so far, and still you understand so little."

"Xemnas! Why? We befriended you, you got your heart now what do you want?"

"Fool, you think I went through all that just to get one heart?" The Superior withdrew his hood and smiled, his golden eyes burning with hunger, hunger for power that Sora had never dreamt of," now I will take it for myself!" Another coated figure emerged from darkness and took Kairi from the Keyblade Knights arms, who screamed and summoned Ultima Weapon, his black attire shining and turning silver as his feet lifted off the floor. A moment of doubt filled Xemnas as he saw he had angered deeply the one person who would ever show him mercy. 'To hell with them!' he thought,' this twerp will pay like the rest.' Saix drew his Luna Greatsword and brought it around in an arc, aiming to behead Sora. The Final Keyblade champion glided backwards and called into being Fenrir, then he sent both Keyblades crashing into the Luna Diviner. Saix's scarred face grinned as he parried both attacks and lunged forward. Sora noted quickly that Roxas was rushing down his drive on a skateboard, Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his pale grip. A card-dealing menace leapt from beside the road and threw three razor edged aces at the blonde, Roxas deflected the assualt with ease and leapt from his board, spinning through the air, he swept both keyblades at the gambler, who deftly side-stepped and hurled ever more deadly cards. Spinning the white key around his fingers, a rotor blade sheild protected the Key of Destiny as he drew his anger into Oblivion, the black key glowing with darkness before he threw it at the Nobody. Luxord shouted in outrage and dived aside, the key sailing past him and looping back into Roxas' hand. With Luxord in a ditch, Roxas ran on to the road to help Sora. All the combatants froze as a howling scream tore through the icy air, the sound of shattering glass and clanging metal terrible as Xigbar was cattapulted straight through the blue glassed Rose-Window, a murderous Heartless with wings of midnight feathers and a chain keyblade being the source of the hatefull sound. Dante cast aside his restraints as the Heartless symbol pulsed on his bare chest, his weapon flicking like a whip of it's own accord. The axe like head of the Keyblade caught one of the Lancers spears and Dante used it to pull himself towards his quarry. Sora got a breather and helped Kairi up, using Heal to restore her, she then summoned her own floral keyblade and stood back to back with the brunette angel. Roxas landed from another flip next to them and Dante swooped past, his raven wings brushing the trio, Sora soaring up to give him a hand. They had the situation in hand till Xemnas teleported next to the red-head, grabbing her by the arm similar to how Axel had done before and threw her into a mass of darkness. the tendrils of shadow wrapped round the girl and the Dark Door snapped shut behind her. Sora and Roxas both faltered as they watched, their respective attackers taking advantage and disarming them, binding them in shadow and lowering them into another Door. Dante was bound up in Xaldins' spears and roared as his dearest friends were taken away. He sent a blast of black and red energy at the Lancer to push him back, then he dived, tucking his wings in, straight at The Superior.

"Xemnas! You'll regret this coward!" The Heartless boy brought his deadly weapon in a violent sweep towards the villain, who chuckled and vanished, the other Nobodies following suit. Dante fell to the ground in confusion and was only cushioned by his great wings. He managed to stand up just as others began to arrive at the scene. Axel and Demyx had some vague form of clothing on and Riku was in his biker's leather jacket.

"What happened Heart?" (Heart was the cute, joke name adopted by the teens at school for Dante, as they all knew he really had quite a big one.) Axel placed his hands on the younger boys shoulders, his fiery personality changed of late by his sisters vanishing and such kindness was his new way of living. Demyx used his soothing music and water to heal Dante's slightly bruised wings and limbs. Riku looked around worriedly, the silver soldier having been the one who heard Sora scream and the sound of battle.

"We're too late aren't we? They took them..."

"Who?" Demyx shrugged in response to Axel. Dante sniffled as his bashed frame rested in the pyro-boys arms.

"S-sora and Roxy... Kairi too..." Axel's eyes widened at the mention of his sister, but they dulled again as he realised what Dante meant.

"Don't worry Heart" Riku's head was bowed, his hair covering his tensed, barely controlled features," I knew Mansex would try this... He never came onto our side."

"How'd you know Riku? Yous hould've told us!" Axel sounded close to accusing Riku for what had happened.

"I didn't have proof, he could punish me on the precedance of insolence and have me disappear on 'suspension.'"

"Don't get angry..." Dante's weak voice sounded scarily childish as he wheezed from pain, Xaldin had cut him in many places," it's my fault for nor stopping them now."

"You can't think that, no-one could've stopped him!" Demyx's youthfull optimism managed to dent Dante's pain but only slightly.

"Thanks but... What's important is finding them. They sent them through Dark Doors, so they could be on any world!" Dante's eyes wobbled as moist tears dripped from his pained face.

"Well that leaves us a clear option," stated the blind knight, his keyblade materialising in his hand," we find our friends and bring them home! Sora would've done the same for us..." Riku remembered how Sora had saved him twice,' It's my turn to help you Sora, you can count on me buddy.'

"But Sora had the keys to the Gummi Ship!" Demyx made a good point.

"I think I can help with that!" The four teenagers turned to see Cid the pilot flanked by Sora's brother Cloud and his boyfriend Leon, both with their awesome swords drawn. Dante smiled and thanked them, and the band of friends turned towards the remotely descending Highwind, and of course, a new adventure.

On a far off world, two boys awoke, one blonde and the other brunette, but both with brilliant sky blue eyes and key shaped swords. Sora turned to Roxas, and Roxas looked at Sora. Their eyes said more than words. They got up and looked around. Roxas hadn't seen this world before, the moon was big and yellowish, bats and graves all around and that hill in the distance... was curly!

"Sora, where is this?" The blonde and his somebody jumped as cold, boney fingers settled on their shoulders and a familiar Pumpkin King leant between the vampire disguised boy and his mummy Nobody.

"But fellas, how could you forget? This is Halloween!"


End file.
